When a radioactive plume spiraled out of the secret Nyonoksa testing facility Aug. 8, 66-tear-old Russian President Vladimir Putin downplayed the event, claiming it was a routine occurrence at a nuclear site. That story didn’t add up when toxic levels of radioactive gas containing strontium-91, barium-139 and lanthanum-140 were measured in the radioactive plume that killed at least five in Nyonoksa, spreading rapidly to the town of Severdodvisnk. When the Chernobyl nuclear reactor melted down April 26, 1986, then Premier Mikhail Gorbachev downplayed the worst nuclear disaster on the planet, spewing massive amounts of radioactivity into the atmosphere. While the recent explosion at Nyonoksa wasn’t Chernobyl, it was bad enough to spread toxic radiation into the atmosphere. A Norwegian nuclear expert confirmed it “was a nuclear reactor that exploded.”
U.S. nuclear experts and intel officials suspect a failed weapons’ test of Russian new nuclear-powered Cruise missile, considered by Putin “invincible” to U.S. military defenses. Called the 9M730 Burevestnik nuclear-powered Cruise missile, NATO calls the SSC-Z-9 Sytfall, referring to the new breed of Russian nuclear weapons that violate the now defunct Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces [INF] Treaty, negotiated by President Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev in Vladivostok Dec. 8, 1987. When Trump cancelled the INF treaty Aug. 2, 2019, the Kremlin threw a fit, when it fact they’d been violating the INF treaty for years. Whether or not Syfall blew up in Putin’s face, it was an undeniable violation of the INF Treaty. Developing a hypersonic nuclear weapon runs counter the intent of the INF treaty. No one believes the Aug. 8 explosion at Nyonoksa was a normal nuclear mishap.
When the blast produced a cascade of radioactive isotopes, it signaled a reactor explosion, simply not the byproducts of a nuclear test. Strontium-91, Barium-139 and Lanthanum-140 are byproducts of a reactor explosion, having half-lives ranging from 93 minutes to 12.8 days. “There are fission products,” said Joshua Pollack, leading expert on nuclear and missile proliferation.. “If anyone still doubts that a nuclear reactor was involved in the incident, this report should go a long way toward resolving that,” said Pollack. Alexander Uvarov, editor of Independent News at AtomInfo.ru, told RIA Novosti that the isotopes were a product of nuclear fusion involving uranium-235, capable of producing barium, strontium and lanthanum isotopes. While Putin denies that a nuclear reactor exploded, he also told the media that he wouldn’t admit if a reactor exploded or not.
Russian official minimize not only nuclear events but failure on the Soyuz launch pad or when disasters strike in space travel to the International Space Stattion [ISS]. Putin’s fooling no one about Kyonoksa, knowing what happened March 11, 2011 at Japan’s Fukushima-Daiichi meltdown, killing one of radiation sickness, injuring 16 others. Norwegian nuclear scientist Nils Bohmer said that “the presence of decay products like barium and strontium is coming from a nuclear chain reaction,” proving it “was a reactor that exploded,” a very different story than Russian authorities. Doctors treating the victims at Nyonoksa test facility were forced to sign nondisclosure agreements, also expunging hospital records. All the secrecy surrounding the explosion by Russian officials suggests they were testing the Skyfall nuclear-powered Cruise missile when something went awry.
Russian officials said the mishap happened “during tests of a liquid propulsion system involving isotopes,” something Bohmer said was impossible. Producing the cascade of isotopes, like strontium, barium and lanathanum could only be produced by a an atomic explosion. Putin denied hiding anything to the press about the Nyonoksa mishap. “This is work in the military field, work on promising weapons systems,” Putin said. “When it comes to activities of a military nature, there are certain restrictions on access to information,” admitting that Russian authorities had every right to maintain secrecy. President Trump tweeted “the Skyfall explosion,” disputing official Russian explanations. Reading between the lines, it looks like Putin’s new “invincible” nuclear-powered Cruise missile blew up the nuclear reactor, sending plumes of radioactivity into the atmosphere.
Playing with nuclear weapons is dangerous business, whether it’s in Russia, North Korea, Pakistan or anywhere else. Violating the now defunct INF treaty, Putin still doesn’t admit to breaching the accord, despite boasting about creating of new ‘invincible” weapons. Calling the Burevestinik Cruise missile “an unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory and ability to bypass interception” Putin jumped the gun, when the Sykfall blew up the nuclear reactor. While not the disaster of Chernobyl, Nyonoksa showed the hazards of developing more lethal nuclear weapons. Putin’s the last person to give the information straight, especially when it comes to Russian failures. Ever since Sputnik blasted off Oct. 4, 1957, the Russian government has maintained its secrecy over its nuclear and space failures, always promting invincibility to the West, when in fact mishaps take place.
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