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(last updated 13 Nov 2021)
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Attackers of Siberian anti-uranium activists given jail terms: A court in the Irkutsk has sentenced 16 men over an assault on ecological protestors in eastern Siberia in 2007. Four men were sentenced to between eight and nine years in jail, while the remaining 12 were given suspended sentences. The group, described in some reports as skinheads, were armed with clubs and iron bars when they launched their attack on the activists' camp near a uranium enrichment plant in the city of Angarsk. At least one activist died in the attack, which police said at the time was "not linked to political or nationalist motives." (RIA Novosti Nov. 18, 2011)
Mongolia to join International Uranium Enrichment Center in Russia: Mongolia would one of the founders of the International Uranium Enrichment Center, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom, said Friday (Oct. 29). "The Mongolian government has shown big interest in this regard, so the inter-governmental agreement will be signed on Nov. 1," said Kiriyenko, who is visiting Mongolia. Currently, the project has three partners, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Ulan Bator has been seeking access since May 2008. Upon closing the deal, Mongolia will get guaranteed access to the uranium-enrichment facilities in Angarsk, a city in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast region. (Xinhua Oct. 29, 2010)
Ukrainian state-owned company Nuclear Fuel has acquired 10 percent of the shares of the International Uranium Enrichment Center, the Itar-Tass news agency reported on Friday (Oct. 8). Ukraine has thus become the third country in the project after Russia and Kazakhstan. Until today, Russia possessed 90 percent of the center's shares and Kazakhstan 10 percent. Russia's share fell to 80 percent as a result of the latest deal. In addition, Russia's federal nuclear agency Rosatom plans to sell 50 percent of the center's stake package minus one share to the new participants in the project. (Xinhua Oct. 8, 2010)
On 29 March 2010, IAEA and the Russian Federation's State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) signed an agreement to establish a reserve of low enriched uranium (LEU) for supply to the IAEA for its Member States to be located at the International Uranium Enrichment Centre in Angarsk, Russia. The LEU reserve of 120 tonnes is valued at roughly USD $250 million. The LEU reserve is being established to provide Member States protection against possible supply disruptions unrelated to technical or commercial considerations. (IAEA Mar. 29, 2010)
New gas cetrifuges for the enrichment of uranium have been put into operation at the Angarsk chemical electrolysis plant (ACEP), an official at the management office of the enterprise told Itar-Tass on Thursday (Nov. 19). Plans to increase the ACEP capacity by about 50 percent -- from 2.6 million to four million separative workunits (SWU)(a uranium processing measure) were announced by the management of the Rosatom State Corporation in view of the establishment of an International Uranium Enrichment Center (IUEC) on the basis of the ACEP. (Itar Tass Nov. 19, 2009)
Russian and Japanese NGOs are opposing the possibility of extracting uranium from spent nuclear fuel reprocessed in the UK and France and re-enriching it at the planned Angarsk International Enrichment Center in Russia. The NGOs are concerned about the transportation hazards, the enormous amounts of radioactive waste (including depleted uranium) generated during the process, and about proliferation risks.
(Green Action 
(Japan), Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (Japan), Ecodefense (Russia), May 11, 2009)
Ukraine is to acquire a 10% share in the planned International uranium enrichment center in Angarsk. (RIA Novosti Dec. 1, 2008)
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft agreement with the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan about the joint participation in the International uranium enrichment center in Angarsk, Irkutsk region, Russia. (Interfax-Ukraine Nov. 26, 2008)
Marina Rikhvanova received the 2008 Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia for her fight against a pipeline project near Lake Baikal and the International enrichment center project near Angarsk.
> View Announcement Apr. 13, 2008 · Details on Marina Rikhvanova (Goldman Prize)
On August 1, 2007, twenty participants of the eighth all-Russian antinuclear camp occupied the unfinished office building for the Kirov area in the center of Irkutsk and declared it the "Baikal nuclear-free republic" (BBR). They demanded the stop of the plans for the enrichment center in Angarsk and the halt of all imports of radioactive wastes, including depleted uranium. After several hours, the police stopped the protest and interviewed the participants at the Irkutsk police station. (Ecodefense, RIA Novosti, August 1, 2007)
Three environmental groups have started setting up a new camp in Siberia to protest against nuclear waste disposal at a local chemicals plant and across Russia. (RIA Novosti July 26, 2007)
On July 21, 2007, a participant of the ecological protest camp held against the International enrichment center project at Angarsk was killed and seven others were injured during an attack on the camp. A criminal investigation has been opened in connection with the attack. (AP July 21, 2007)
The uranium enrichment capacity of the Angarsk Electrolysis-Chemical Combine is to increase almost 300% by 2015 due to the implementation of a development program by the plant and a joint project with Kazakhstan, Federal Atomic Energy Agency Director Sergei Kirienko told journalists in Angarsk. (Interfax June 22, 2007)
An ecological protest camp against the International enrichment center project at Angarsk is organized by Baikal Ecological Wave and Autonomous Action of Irkutsk. The protest camp will start on July 15, 2007.
On May 10, 2007, Russia and Kazakhstan signed a deal on an international uranium enrichment center to be set up at Angarsk. The center will come on stream in 2013 and offer uranium enrichment services to countries interested in developing nuclear energy for civilian purposes. (RIA Novosti May 10, 2007)
On Dec. 3, 2006, more than 200 participants held a demonstration at Irkutsk against the establishment of an international enrichment center at Angarsk. The event was organized by Baikal Movement, Baikal Environmental Wave , Ecodefense , and the Irkutsk chapter of the National Bolshevik Party (NBP).
The participants also protested the import of depleted uranium hexafluoride from Western Europe for re-enrichment at Angarsk.
(Baikal Environmental Wave, Dec. 3, 2006)
Another demonstration was held at Irkutsk on Dec. 16, 2006. Some 80 people, who gathered for the rally organized by the non- governmental organizations Baikal Ecological Wave and Baikal Movement, called for ensuring the environmental safety of the region in general and Lake Baikal in particular. (Interfax Dec. 16, 2006)
Russia is establishing a uranium enrichment center on the premises of the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine. Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko said in an earlier statement that the center would begin operation in 2007. Kazakhstan has made a decision to join Russia's initiative to set up an international nuclear-cycle center under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Russian territory. (Kazatomprom Nov. 28, 2006)
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