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US Military Policy Is Stoking the Risk of Nuclear War on Korean Peninsula

As Trump and Harris bicker over North Korea, the US military lays plans that could bring nuclear tensions to a brink.

By Ju-Hyun Park , Truthout, September 19, 2024

U.S. politicians can’t stop talking about Kim Jong Un. The two major party conventions have come and gone, with both presidential candidates mentioning the North Korean leader by name. At the Republican National Convention (RNC), Donald Trump claimed Kim had endorsed him, adding, “He misses me.” Just weeks later at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Kamala Harris alluded to her opponent’s claims, declaring before an enraptured audience that the “tyrant” Kim is “rooting for Trump.”

Neither candidate told the truth. The North Korea’s state news agency was swift to respond to Trump back in June, clarifying the position of the government with characteristically pointed remarks: “No matter what administration takes office in the U.S., the political climate, which is confused by the infighting of the two parties, does not change and, accordingly, we do not care about this.”

The fact-free treatment of North Korea by both parties is a sign of how the electoral cycle has reduced the Korean crisis to a political football. This is especially dangerous in a time when the risk of war in Korea is at its highest in decades. Significantly, neither Republicans nor Democrats seem interested in a public discussion about the concrete situation in Korea, or the major escalations the U.S. is undertaking there.

While the news cameras and the eyes of the electorate were trained on the DNC in Chicago, the U.S. military executed one of the largest war games on Earth in Korea: Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS). UFS is the latest name for an annual series of military exercises conducted by the Combined Forces Command, the command structure under which the military of South Korea answers to U.S. generals. (The U.S. has had operational wartime command of South Korea’s armed forces since 1950.) Originating in 1976, UFS and its predecessors routinely deploy tens of thousands of troops, along with U.S. “strategic assets” such as aircraft carriers, heavy bombers and nuclear submarines.

This is a major, and widely misunderstood, component of the unfinished Korean War — that for over half a century, some of the largest military maneuvers on Earth are conducted on an annual basis in Korea within sight of the border bisecting the peninsula. Although the U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK), South Korea’s official name, insist these exercises are defensive, many of them rehearse the invasion and occupation of North Korea.

These “war games,” by their very nature, look identical to the first steps of a real invasion. This year’s UFS featured a whopping 48 individual war drills, deploying 19,000 South Korean troops, 200 military aircraft and an unknown number of U.S. soldiers. What’s more, this year’s war games took place in the context of another significant escalation: emergent plans to potentially redeploy U.S. nuclear weapons to Korea.

Killing Peace

The Korean War was concluded with a ceasefire rather than a permanent peace treaty, making it the longest war in U.S. history. For over 50 years, relations between North and South Korea were structured through the paradigm of independent, peaceful reunification — a mutual commitment to nonviolently end both the Korean War and the division of the Korean people. And since the late 1980s, relations between the U.S. and North Korea were also based on the framework of denuclearization. Both of these diplomatic paradigms have now crumbled. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… more https://truthout.org/articles/us-military-policy-is-stoking-the-risk-of-nuclear-war-on-korean-peninsula/

September 22, 2024 Posted by | North Korea, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

US Navy chief unveils plan to be ready for possible war with China by 2027

The announcement of the goals comes as US leaders are treading a fine line, pledging a commitment to the defence of Taiwan while also working to keep communication open with Beijing to deter greater conflict.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China to be reunited, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.

But Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is legally bound to support Taiwan’s military defence capability.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti says lessons from combat in the Red Sea and Ukraine’s Black Sea fight can help the US prepare for an attack on Taiwan

SCMP, Associated Press, 19 Sep 2024

The US Navy is taking lessons from its combat in the Red Sea over the past year and what Ukraine has done to hold off the Russians in the Black Sea to help US military leaders prepare the service for a potential future conflict with China.

From drones and unmanned surface vessels to the more advanced operation of shipboard guns, the US Navy is expanding its combat skills and broadening training. It is also working to overcome recruiting struggles so it can have the sailors it needs to fight the next war.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, is laying out a series of goals, including several that will be highly challenging to meet, in a new navigation plan she described in an interview. The objective is to be ready to face what the Pentagon calls its key national security challenge – China.

“I’m very focused on 2027. It’s the year that President Xi [Jinping] told his forces to be ready to invade Taiwan,” Franchetti said. “We need to be more ready.”

The new plan, released on Wednesday, includes what she considers seven priority goals, ranging from removing delays in ship depot maintenance to improving US Navy infrastructure, recruiting and the use of drones and autonomous systems.

One significant challenge is to have 80 per cent of the force be ready enough at any given time to deploy for combat if needed – something she acknowledged is a “stretch goal”. The key, she said, is to get to a level of combat readiness where “if the nation calls us, we can push the ‘go’ button and we can surge our forces to be able to meet the call”.

The announcement of the goals comes as US leaders are treading a fine line, pledging a commitment to the defence of Taiwan while also working to keep communication open with Beijing to deter greater conflict.

Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China to be reunited, by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.

But Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is legally bound to support Taiwan’s military defence capability.

An important element in any Asia-Pacific conflict will be the need to control the seas. Franchetti said the US can learn from how the Ukrainians have used drones, air strikes and long-range unmanned vessels to limit Russian ship activity in the western Black Sea and keep access open to critical ports.

“If you look at the Ukrainian success in really keeping the Russian Black Sea fleet pushed all the way over into the east, that’s all about sea denial and that’s very important,” Franchetti said. She added that Ukraine has been innovating on the battlefield by using existing systems, such as drones, in different ways.

The US Navy’s months-long battle with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has provided other lessons…………………………………………………………………. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3279048/us-navy-chief-unveils-plan-be-ready-possible-war-china-2027

September 20, 2024 Posted by | China, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Turkey needs to acquire nuclear arms to stop Israel, urges Erdogan’s chief fatwa giver

September 19, 2024, Abdullah Bozkurt/Stockholm, Nordic Monitor

Hayrettin Karaman, the 90-year-old Islamic jurist and chief fatwa (religious edict) giver for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a prominent ideologue for the Turkish Muslim Brotherhood, has said Turkey must pursue nuclear capabilities to counter Israel and establish deterrence against its adversaries.

In an article published September 8 in the Islamist Yeni Şafak daily, Karaman argued that Turkey’s current efforts are insufficient to stop Israel. He urged that “either the Islamic world must unite and collaborate with China and Russia, or Turkey must move forward by acquiring nuclear warheads and weapons.”…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Recalling his 1995 trip to Israel and Palestine, Karaman said he personally observed how Jews envision a “Greater Israel,” known as the “promised land” (Arz-ı Mev’ud). He claimed that Jews are advancing toward this goal with support from the West.

The so-called “promised land” conspiracy allegedly extends to parts of southeastern Turkey. President Erdogan has echoed this claim in public speeches, alleging that Israel seeks to annex Turkish territory. Erdogan has also praised Hamas, saying the group defends not only the rights of Palestinians but also those of Turks…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. more https://nordicmonitor.com/2024/09/turkey-needs-to-acquire-nuclear-arms-to-stop-israel-urges-erdogans-chief-fatwa-giver/

September 20, 2024 Posted by | Turkey, weapons and war | Leave a comment

TEPCO again halts work to collect melted nuclear fuel

By KEITARO FUKUCHI/ Staff Writer, September 17, 2024
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15429866

Once again, Tokyo Electric Power Co. has been forced to halt its project to collect melted nuclear fuel debris at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

On Sept. 17, TEPCO could not confirm camera images of equipment being used to remove the debris from the No. 2 reactor of the plant, bringing a stop to the project, the utility said.

TEPCO had planned to pick up melted fuel debris from the bottom of the reactor’s containment vessel that day.

The cause of the problem is under investigation, and there are no prospects of soon resuming the fuel-collecting operation, TEPCO said.

The company had earlier planned to start the fuel-removal work on Aug. 22. But the project was suspended after it was discovered that equipment for the operation had been installed in an incorrect order.

The work resumed on Sept. 10 after TEPCO took measures to prevent a recurrence.

After the fuel-removal device was pushed inside the reactor containment vessel, TEPCO checked the operation of the camera on the tip of the device. It was working on Sept. 13.

Workers had been checking the equipment from the morning of Sept. 17.

But a glitch occurred in the remote control room, about 400 meters away from the site, and the camera images could not be checked, the utility said.

Because of this, workers were unable to pick up the fuel debris.

September 20, 2024 Posted by | Fukushima continuing | Leave a comment

Surge in Russian uranium sent to China

 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/17/ukraine-russia-war-latest-news27/

Washington fears Russia is sending large quantities of enriched uranium to China in an effort to evade sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese imports of enriched uranium from Russia, the world’s largest exporter of the radioactive metal, soared in 2022 and 2023, according to data released by the World Bank.

The US is now investigating whether the uranium, used as nuclear power plant fuel, is then being imported to America.

China only started to send vast quantities of enriched uranium to the US after Congress passed a ban on the import of the metal from Russia after the Ukraine invasion.

“As China may be seeking to carve out a greater role for itself in world enriched uranium markets, increased imports of Russian enriched uranium may facilitate the pursuit of Beijing’s ambitions,” said a report in March by the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank.

September 19, 2024 Posted by | China, Russia, Uranium | Leave a comment

India considers joining Russia, China to build nuclear plant on Moon

Rivals India and China are said to be keen on joining a Russian project to build an atomic power plant for a human base on the Moon.

 14/09/2024,  By: Pratap Chakravarty,  https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20240914-india-considers-joining-russia-china-to-build-nuclear-plant-on-moon

Russia’s atomic energy corporation Rosatom says the lunar reactor will be built with “minimal human involvement” and deployed around 2036.

According to Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev told a meeting of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok earlier this month that both India and China have shown interest in the venture.

“The task we are working on is the creation of a lunar nuclear power plant with an energy capacity of up to half a megawatt,” Likhachev told the gathering of potential investors.

“Both our Chinese and Indian partners are very interested in collaborating as we lay the groundwork for several international space projects,” the Rosatom chief executive claimed.

Cooperation among rivals 

Delhi has not commented on the purported collaboration.

While Russia is its key arms supplier and a partner on several space ventures, Indian media have been surprised by the possibility of India teaming up with China.

Alluding to unresolved border disputes which took India and China to war in 1962 and sporadic clashes in following years, local daily Business Standard called the two countries “foes on Earth, pals on Moon”.

The proposed power plant will be integrated into a wider Chinese-Russian project to set up a base called the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), either on lunar soil or in lunar orbit.

ILRS will serve as a fulcrum of scientific research and will be open to all countries and “international partners” after it becomes operational between 2035 and 2045.

But it would require a stable power supply – which only a nuclear reactor can provide, as the Moon’s lengthy lunar nights make solar energy unreliable.

Nasa has been mulling the construction of similar reactors for its own future lunar bases.

India’s space ambitions

The Russian-led project is separate from India’s own ambitions to set up a space station by 2035 and launch a manned mission to the Moon five years later.

Analysts say India, with its ambitions of creating a human colony on the Moon, is actively seeking out potential opportunities to accelerate its space ambitions.

In August 2023, India landed a spacecraft on the Moon and joined a select space-faring club comprising of China, Russia and the United States – the only nations to have ever reached the Earth’s closest celestial object.

India has shortlisted four military pilots to travel on the country’s first manned space flight next year.

The Indian government says the Gaganyaan spacecraft will orbit Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometres and land at sea three days later.

It will also send a humanoid robot into space later this year in line with preparations to land an Indian on lunar soil by 2040.

Air force pilot Rakesh Sharma became India’s first astronaut to go to space in April 1984, when he spent almost eight days on board the Soviet Salyut-7 space station.

September 18, 2024 Posted by | India, space travel | Leave a comment

Japan, to make the biggest mistake in history: nuclear energy with water, and risk of explosion

by Jessica A., 09/15/2024,  https://www.ecoticias.com/en/nuclear-energy-japan-hydrogen/6246/

Japan has a traumatic history with nuclear power, but that’s not stopping the country from taking new risks

The Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011 devastated Japan and left the rest of the world terrified of nuclear power. While it wasn’t as horrific as the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion of 1986, it still traumatized both the Japanese people and the government. Yet now, Japan is facing an energy crisis, and nuclear energy may be the only realistic solution.

Japan is one of the countries at the forefront of the green energy revolution. The Japanese government understands that solar, wind, and hydroelectric energy can only produce a portion of the fuel and electricity the country and the world need. Hydrogen will have to make up some of the difference in the industrial sector, for uses in shipping, aviation, and manufacturing. Japan wants to use next-generation nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen with zero emissions.

Next-generation nuclear reactors have lower energy outputs and marginally better safety records

To make hydrogen a viable option for industrial fuel needs, Japan plans to use nuclear reactors

Many companies are already producing hydrogen for the industrial sector, but they often use natural gas or fossil fuels to do it. These methods result in at least some greenhouse emissions, and Japan wants to have a zero-emissions hydrogen production process in place by 2040 to help meet the world’s energy needs.

Nuclear reactors seem to offer a good solution to this problem because they generate a lot of heat, and that heat can be used to break down water for hydrogen harvesting. Hydrogen is the only clean fuel that scientists know of that can power industrial shipping vessels, planes, and large machinery.

To avoid making the climate crisis worse, governments need to commit to making the production of hydrogen a green process, meaning releasing zero emissions. Japan is looking at innovative ways of designing nuclear reactors to keep them safe so that they can power homes and produce hydrogen.

Many people are skeptical of nuclear energy, and Japan could be courting disaster with its plans to use high temperatures to break down water. One more nuclear explosion could mean the end of nuclear power forever. Only time will tell if the next-gen reactors pass all the safety tests required to go online.

September 17, 2024 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

TEPCO restarts debris extraction attempt at Fukushima plant

KYODO NEWS KYODO NEWS –  https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/09/35e573ef1ad3-urgent-tepco-restarts-debris-extraction-attempt-at-fukushima-plant.html

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex restarted Tuesday a bid to retrieve a small amount of melted fuel from one of its stricken reactors after its first attempt last month was suspended due to setup complications.

The trial extraction was put on hold on Aug. 22 due to issues discovered during preparations, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.

The resumption comes after TEPCO confirmed that five pipes set to be used to insert a retrieval device into the No. 2 reactor’s containment vessel are now installed in the correct order.


TEPCO said earlier that it and contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. failed to check the order in which the pipes were set up, causing the earlier issues.

There are an estimated 880 tons of fuel debris in the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 reactors.

The task of retrieving melted fuel remains a serious challenge in the decades-long decommissioning plan for the Fukushima Daiichi complex, which was damaged following a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

September 11, 2024 Posted by | Fukushima continuing, wastes | Leave a comment

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un says country to increase number of nuclear weapons, KCNA says

By Reuters, September 10, 2024,
Reporting by Joyce Lee Editing by Chris Reese,  https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-says-country-increase-number-nuclear-weapons-kcna-says-2024-09-09/

SEOUL, – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country is now implementing a nuclear force construction policy to increase the number of nuclear weapons “exponentially,” state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Kim gave a speech on North Korea’s founding anniversary on Monday, KCNA said.

North Korea must more thoroughly prepare its “nuclear capability and its readiness to use it properly at any given time in ensuring the security rights of the state,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

A strong military presence is needed to face “the various threats posed by the United States and its followers,” Kim added.

September 11, 2024 Posted by | North Korea, weapons and war | Leave a comment

A robot resumes mission to retrieve a piece of melted fuel from inside a damaged Fukushima reactor

The goal of the operation is to bring back less than 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of an estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel that remain in three reactors.

An operation to send an extendable robot into one of three damaged reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to bring back a tiny gravel of melted fuel debris has resumed, nearly three weeks after its earlier attempt was suspended due to a tech…

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press, September 10, 2024,  https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/robot-resumes-mission-retrieve-piece-melted-fuel-inside-113538057

An extendable robot on Tuesday resumed its entry into one of three damaged reactors at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to retrieve a fragment of melted fuel debris, nearly three weeks after its earlier attempt was suspended due to a technical issue.

The collection of a tiny sample of the spent fuel debris from inside of the Unit 2 reactor marks the start of the most challenging part of the decadeslong decommissioning of the plant where three reactors were destroyed in the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The sample-return mission, initially scheduled to begin on Aug. 22, was suspended when workers noticed that a set of five 1.5-meter (5-foot) add-on pipes to push in and maneuver the robot were in the wrong order and could not be corrected within the time limit for their radiation exposure, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said.

The pipes were to be used to push the robot inside and pull it back out when it finished. Once inside the vessel, the robot is operated remotely from a safer location.

The robot, nicknamed “telesco,” can extend up to about 22 meters (72 feet), including the pipes pushing it from behind, to reach its target area to collect a fragment from the surface of the melted fuel mound using a device equipped with tongs that hang from the of the robot.

The mission to obtain the fragment and return with it is to last about two weeks.

The mix-up, which TEPCO called a “basic mistake,” triggered disappointment and raised concerns from officials and local residents. Industry Minister Ken Saito ordered TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa a thorough investigation of the cause and preventive steps before resuming the mission.

The pipes were brought into the Unit 2 reactor building and pre-arranged at the end of July by workers from the robot’s prime contractor and its subsidiary, but their final status was never checked until the problem was found.

TEPCO concluded the mishap was caused by a lack of attention, checking and communication between the operator and workers on the ground. By Monday, the equipment was reassembled in the right order and ready for a retrial, the company said.

The goal of the operation is to bring back less than 3 grams (0.1 ounce) of an estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel that remain in three reactors. The small sample will provide key data to develop future decommissioning methods and necessary technology and robots, experts say.

The government and TEPCO are sticking to a 30 to 40-year cleanup target set soon after the meltdown, despite criticism it is unrealistic. No specific plans for the full removal of the melted fuel debris or its storage have been decided.

September 10, 2024 Posted by | Fukushima continuing, wastes | Leave a comment

Indian nuclear weapons, 2024

By Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns, Mackenzie Knight | September 5, 2024

India continues to modernize its nuclear arsenal, with at least four new weapon systems and several new delivery platforms under development to complement or replace existing nuclear-capable aircraft, land-based delivery systems, and sea-based systems. Several of these systems are nearing completion and will soon be fielded.

We estimate that India may have produced enough military plutonium for 130 to 210 nuclear warheads but likely has produced only around 172, although the country’s warhead stockpile is likely growing. The Nuclear Notebook is researched and written by the staff of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project: director Hans M. Kristensen, associate director Matt Korda, senior research associates Eliana Johns and Mackenzie Knight.

This article is freely available in PDF format in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ digital magazine (published by Taylor & Francis) at this link. 

…………………..India continues to modernize its nuclear weapons arsenal and operationalize its nascent triad. We estimate that India currently operates eight different nuclear-capable systems: two aircraft, five land-based ballistic missiles, and one sea-based ballistic missile. At least five more systems are in development, most of which are thought to be nearing completion and to be fielded with the armed forces soon.

Research methodology and confidence

The Indian government does not publish numbers about the size of its nuclear weapon stockpile. The analyses and estimates made in the Nuclear Notebook are therefore derived from a combination of open sources: (1) state-originating data (e.g. government statements, declassified documents, budgetary information, military parades, and treaty disclosure data); (2) non-state-originating data (e.g. media reports, think tank analyses, and industry publications); and (3) commercial satellite imagery. …………………………………………………………….

…………Fissile material and warhead inventory estimates

India is one of only a handful of countries believed to be producing both highly enriched uranium (HEU) and weapons-grade plutonium, although its HEU production is largely assumed to be focused on producing fuel for its growing number of nuclear-powered vessels and submarines (Frieß et al. 2024).

………………..Nuclear doctrine

Tensions between India and Pakistan constitute one of the most concerning nuclear hotspots on the planet. These two nuclear-armed countries engaged in open hostilities as recently as November 2020, when Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged artillery and gunfire over the Line of Control, resulting in at least 22 deaths. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. more https://thebulletin.org/premium/2024-09/indian-nuclear-weapons-2024/

September 8, 2024 Posted by | India, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Fukushima fishermen not in the clear yet

Japan Times 1 Sept 24

A year has passed since treated water containing trace amounts of tritium started to be released into the sea from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

While the move is said to have had no significant impact on the prices of fishery products, tourism or the surrounding environment, challenges remain, including a number of hurdles for Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ decommissioning of its reactors and measures to reduce the generation of contaminated water………………………………………………………..

In the absence of price decreases, the central and prefectural governments conclude that there has been almost no reputational impact to seafood from the region.

However, those in the local fisheries industry say the prices are holding up because there is momentum to support Fukushima, but they are not optimistic about the future due to it being a temporary measure.

The trading of Joban-mono increased in response to a central government initiative after the treated water started to be released.

But this process is expected to continue for around 30 years.

In April, the release of treated water was temporarily halted after a worker accidentally damaged a power cable at the Fukushima plant, partially cutting off the supply of power.

If such incidents continue to occur, they could pose reputational risks to Joban-mono.

………………………………………………………………………………………….. the local fishermen have lost trust in the central government after it decided on proceeding with the plan to release the treated water into the ocean despite opposition from the fisheries industry in and out of Fukushima Prefecture.

In announcing the decision, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, “Even though operations will last for decades, the government will take responsibility until the release is completed.”

The local fishing industry has become increasingly distrustful of Kishida, who suddenly expressed his intention of not seeking reelection as Liberal Democratic Party leader in this month’s presidential race.

“Concerns over treated water will remain for a long time,” a Fukushima fisheries industry official said. “We want the government to work with us as one to cope with the issue.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/02/japan/society/fukushima-fisheries-radioactive-water/

September 4, 2024 Posted by | Japan, oceans | Leave a comment

NATO Ally Sounds Alarm on ‘Risks’ of Nuclear War With Russia

 https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ally-turkey-hakan-fidan-sounds-alarm-nuclear-risks-russia-1946854 30 Aug 24

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a warning about the “risks” of nuclear war with Russia, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

The Russia-Ukraine war has raged on for more than two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. Although Moscow aimed for a quick victory over its Eastern European neighbor, viewed as having a much smaller military, its spirited defense effort bolstered by Western aid, has blocked it from making substantial gains.

Recent weeks have seen Ukraine launch its own counteroffensive into Kursk—marking the first time Russian territory has been seized since World War II.

The conflict, however, has long raised concerns about whether Russia could deploy nuclear weapons. Putin has repeatedly made eyebrow-raising statements about nuclear weapons amid the ongoing war as Moscow has more nuclear warheads than any other country, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICANW).

On Friday, Fidan raised concerns about whether nuclear weapons would eventually be used in Ukraine. Turkey is notably a key ally to the United States and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has at times broken from the West on Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, a war in the heart of Europe between Russia and Ukraine is in its third year. It risks escalating into a war involving the use of nuclear weapons,” Fidan said during a TRT Haber broadcast, Tass reported.

He added that there is “nothing more humane than the demand to stop the war” and that negotiations need to take place to “prevent our region from being further devastated by war.”

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian foreign ministries for comment via email

His remarks come after Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Thursday accused the U.S. of “trying to bring imbalance to the system of international security” in the nuclear sphere.

In June, Putin said the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons amid the war should “not be taken lightly” by the West.

“For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it…We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says,” the Russian leader said, referring to his country’s policy of allowing nuclear weapon usage if “the very existence of the state is put under threat.”

“If someone’s actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal,” Putin added. “This should not be taken lightly, superficially.”

The U.S. has been a key ally to Ukraine amid the conflict, with the Biden administration, along with many other world leaders, saying the invasion was unprovoked and lacks justification. Washington has given billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv that has proven crucial to its defense efforts.

Ukraine’s Kursk offensive sparked nuclear concerns from Russia, which earlier this month accused Ukraine of attempting to attack a nuclear power plant using drones.

August 31, 2024 Posted by | Turkey, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Tepco aims to dismantle Fukushima water tanks from 2025

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings aims to begin dismantling tanks used for storing treated wastewater in 2025. The tanks are now empty following water discharges into the Pacific since August last year.

Tepco released a total of 62,400 metric tons of treated water from its meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in eight rounds of discharges over the past year.

Investigations by the government and Tepco into the surrounding sea areas have shown that the concentration of the radioactive substance tritium, contained in the treated water, is far below the safety limit. Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency published a report that the water releases meet international safety standards………. (Subscribers only)

Japan Times 26th Aug 2024

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/08/26/japan/fukushima-water-tanks-dismantle/

August 30, 2024 Posted by | Fukushima continuing, wastes | Leave a comment

Central Japan nuclear reactor fails to pass safety review

Tsuruga plant’s No. 2 reactor may lie above active fault in Fukui, watchdog says

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy/Central-Japan-nuclear-reactor-fails-to-pass-safety-review— 28 Aug 24

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday decided that a reactor in Fukui Prefecture failed to pass its restart safety review, marking the first such case since the regulatory body’s founding after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.

The No. 2 reactor at the Tsuruga plant, operated by Japan Atomic Power, fell short of the safety requirements due to a possible active fault underneath the offline unit. The Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to seek public comments on its assessment report before making its decision official, possibly in October.

In quake-prone Japan, building reactors or other important safety facilities directly above active faults is prohibited.

Japan Atomic Power first applied for the safety screening with the hope of restarting the reactor in November 2015.

But a safety review team of the NRA concluded in July it could not rule out that an active fault located around 300 meters north of the reactor building could potentially stretch right beneath the facility.

The assessment process for the reactor had been rocky, with proceedings suspended twice after it was revealed that Japan Atomic Power had submitted documents that included inaccuracies and data rewritten without approval. It reapplied in August last year.

The Tsuruga nuclear plant is a two-unit complex, with the No. 1 reactor set to be scrapped.

The No. 2 reactor, which started commercial operations in February 1987, went offline in May 2011.

Japan revamped its regulatory setup by launching the NRA in 2012 and has also introduced a set of new safety requirements to reflect the lessons learned from the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings’ Fukushima Daiichi plant, triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

August 30, 2024 Posted by | Japan, safety | Leave a comment

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