SOVIET EFFORTS TO PURCHASE RADIATION DECONTAMINATION EQUIPMENT IN SUPPORT OF CHERNOBYL CLEAN-UP EFFORTS; COMMENTS ON CHERNOBYL DISASTER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06754322
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: April 23, 2025
• Document Release Date: March 25, 2025
• Case Number: F-2016-02406
• Publication Date: May 28, 1986

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SECRETE NOFORN
Classified By: UNSPECIFIED
Classification Reason: UNSPECIFIED
Declassify On: April 26, 2042
(S/ NF) SUBJ: SOVIET-EFFORTS TO PURCHASE RADIATION
DECONTAMINATION EQUIPMENT IN SUPPORT OF CHERNOBYL
CLEAN-UP EFFORTS; COMMENTS ON CHERNOBYL DISASTER
Identifiers:
Messaging System: 86 0872408
Document Number:
Ingestion ID: 27133316
GUIDE: guide://1012/wyhq8
Dates:
Date Acquired:
Date Published: 14-May-1986 13:45:00
Date Received: 28-May-1986 12:19:50
Coverage:
Region: EURASIA, EUROPE, EASTERN EUROPE, USSR, WEST GERMANY
Publisher:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
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Warnings: (S/NF) CENTRAL (b)(1)
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED (b)(3)
INTELLIGENCE
(U) CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
(U) INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASS S
ECRE T--WNINTEL--NOFORN-- DIST: 14 MAY 1986
(U) REPORT CLASS SECRE T--WARNING -INTELLIGENCE SOURCES OR METHODS
INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS--
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL
DOCUMENT. > END OF MESSAGE SECRET
(S//NF) 1. ON 12 MAY 1986, A SOVIET DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH, OLEG A.
((OSIPOV)), HELD A MEETING IN THE MOSCOW OFFICES OF THE SOVIET STATE
COMMITTEE FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (GKNT) WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
WEST GERMAN (FRG) FIRM ((HELLING)) LIMITED, AN IMPORT/EXPORT FIRM BASED IN
HAMBURG, FRG, WHICH HAS BEEN SELLING TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT TO
THE SOVIET UNION FOR THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS. THE MEETING WAS HOSTED BY
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GKNT OFFICIAL VOLODYA ((CHUKANOV)). OSPOV REQUESTED THAT THE FRG FIRM
SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR THE ACQUISITION IN THE WEST OF BOTH PORTABLE AND
LARGE, STATIONARY RADIATION DECONTAMINATION SYSTEMS AND STATIONS. THESE
DEVICES ARE TO BE USED DURING CLEAN-UP EFFORTS IN THE CONTAMINATED AREAS
AROUND THE CHERNOBYL REACTOR. THE MINISTER WAS ALSO INTERESTED IN
DIALYSIS EQUIPMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM RADIATION
CONTAMINATION. HE WAS LESS INTERESTED IN OBTAINING SENSITIVE DOSE RATE
METERS. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MINISTER WAS REQUESTING THESE
PROPOSALS BECAUSE THE SOVIET UNION DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EQUIPMENT TO
�DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. COMMENT: THE MEETING WITH THE GKNT AND
HELLING COMPANY HAD BEEN SCHEDULED FOR SOME TIME BUT THE TOPIC WAS
CHANGED AT THE LAST MINUTE).
(SIF�NF) 2. THE MINISTER MADE NO MENTION OF NUMBERS OF DECONTAMINATION
SYSTEMS REQUIRED OR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE USSR IS PREPARED TO PAY BUT
RATHER ONLY REQUESTED THAT A PROPOSAL BE PREPARED BY THE HELLING
COMPANY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. OSIPOV IMPLIED, BUT WOULD NOT STATE DIRECTLY,
THAT AT LEAST A PARTIAL MELTDOWN HAD OCCURED AT THE CHERNOBYL
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(Sh�INF) NUCLEAR FACILITY. THE MINISTER DID SAY THAT FOUR TUNNELS WERE (b)(3)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION UNDER THE DAMAGED REACTOR SO THAT CONCRETE CAN BE
INSERTED TO CONTAIN THE RADIATION AT THE REACTOR SITE. COMMENT:
NORMALLY VISITORS ARE TAKEN TO VARIOUS MINISTRIES FOR DISCUSSIONS WHEN IN
MOSCOW; IT WAS UNUSUAL IN THIS CASE IN THAT A CONFERENCE ROOM AT GKNT WAS
SET UP AND THE DEPUTY MINISTER CAME TO THE DISCUSSION.)
(S/ NF) 3. THE HOST OF THE MEETING, CHUKANOV, WENT A BIT FURTHER AND,
WHEN ASKED, SAID THAT THE REACTOR CONTAINED MORE THAN 90 TONS OF
URANIUM. HE SAID THAT THE REACTOR WAS, IN EFFECT, SHUT DOWN WHEN THE
ACCIDENT OCCURED ADDING THAT IT WAS AT SEVEN PERCENT OF "HEAT ENERGY
PRODUCTION" AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION. HE ADDED NOTHING FURTHER, SAYING
ONLY THAT THE EVENT WAS UNEXPECTED.
(ShE�INF) 4. COMMENTING ON THE ACTIVITY AT AND THE OBVIOUS FLOW OF VISITORS
TO GKNT THAT DAY, CHUKANOV SAID THAT ONE OF THE GROUPS VISITING GKNT ON 12
MAY WAS A DELEGATION FROM POLAND. HE SAID THAT THE SUBJECT OF
"REIMBURSEMENT" WAS UNDER DISCUSSION WITH THE POLES AND WITH OTHER
(WARSAW PACT) "ALLIES". CHUKANOV THEN ADDED THAT THE USSR WAS FACING
SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS WITH THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER--NOT ONLY WAS THE
DOLLAR FALLING ON EXCHANGE MARKETS BUT SO WAS THE PRICE OF OIL THUS
MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE USSR TO PURCHASE GRAIN IN THE WEST, A
NECESSITY AS A RESULT OF RADIATION CONTAMINATION IN THE UKRAINE. FINALLY,
CHUKANOV SAID THAT BLACK SEA VACATION AREAS HAD BEEN CLOSED ON ACCOUNT
OF THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT.
Collection: CC
Creator:
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
Description: (U) None
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Language: en
Precedence: P
Source:
Subject: None
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