1. SOVIET USE OF IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC ROBOTS FOR CHERNOBYL' CLEANUP OPERATIONS 2. COMMENTS OF WEST GERMAN BUSINESSMAN ON CHERNOBYL CLEANUP PROCEDURES

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06754328
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: April 23, 2025
• Document Release Date: March 25, 2025
• Case Number: F-2016-02406
• Publication Date: April 30, 1987

Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
SECRET
Classified By: Unspecified
Derived From: Unspecified
Declassify On: MR, 20120430
410EQBN___
(S/ /NF) SUBJ: 1. SOVIET USE OF IMPORTED AND
DOMESTIC ROBOTS FOR CHERNOBYL' CLEANUP OPERATIONS
2. COMMENTS OF WEST GERMAN BUSINESSMAN ON
CHERNOBYL CLEANUP PROCEDURES
Identifiers:
Document Number
Messaging System ID: 87 4653828
Ingestion ID: 31329063
GUIDE: guide://1012/3832tg
Dates:
Date Published: 30-Apr-1987 11:35:00
Date Received: 30-Apr-1987 11:36:00
Coverage:
Region: COUNTRY: USSR, WEST GERMANY
Publisher:
#1
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: CIA
#2
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
Attachments:- (W(1) (b)(1)
31329063.orig ("3) (b)(3)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Warnings: (SA NF) WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FULLY EVALUATED
INTELLIGENCE REPORT CLASS SECRET--WNINTEL--NOFORN-- DIST: 30
APRIL 1987 COUNTRY: USSR/WEST GERMANY SUBJ: 1. SOVIET USE OF IMPORTED AND
DOMESTIC ROBOTS FOR CHERNOBYL' CLEANUP OPERATIONS 2. COMMENTS OF WEST
GERMAN BUSINESSMAN ON CHERNOBYL CLEANUP PROCEDURES
OF
THE USSR
PLANS TO HAVE REACTOR NUMBER 3 AT CHERNOBYL BACK IN SERVICE BY THE END
1987.
(b)(1)
HUNDREDS OF DECONTAMINATION WORKERS DIED IN THIS OPERATION.
(b)(3)
1
EXAMPLES OF IMPROPER SAFETY PROCEDURES EMPLOYEES
WITNESSED SOVIET WORKERS SABOTAGING EQUIPMENT TO KEEP FROM BEING SENT
SECR 4N.0(b)(1
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328, ,
)
SECRET/ NOFORN (b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
TO THE SITE. RUMORS THAT POSSIBLY 10 SOVIET SOLDIERS HAD
BEEN EXECUTED FOR TRYING TO AVOID DECONTAMINATION DUTY.
(S/ 'NF) SERIAL: (b)(1)
PASS: NSA FOR ZKZK 00 DLS DE (FOR NSOC); STA(b)(3))R INR;
DOE/DASI.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FULLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE
REPORT CLASS SECRET--WNINTEL--NOFORN---
DIST: 30 APRIL 1987
COUNTRY: USSRNVEST GERMANY
SUBJ: 1. SOVIET USE OF IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC ROBOTS FOR
CHERNOBYL' CLEANUP OPERATIONS
2. COMMENTS OF WEST GERMAN BUSINESSMAN ON CHERNOBYL
CLEANUP PROCEDURES
DOI:
(b)(3)
SOURCE:1
SUMMARY
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
THE USSR PLANS TO HAVE REACTOR NUMBER 3 AT CHERNOBYL
BACK IN SERVICE BY THE END OF 1987.
THE WORKERS INVOLVED SUFFERED ONLY LIGHT EXPOSURE TO
RADIATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, � (b)(1)
(b)(3)
HUNDREDS OF (b)(1)
DECONTAMINATION WORKERS DIED IN THIS OPERATION. EXAMPLES OF (b)(3)
IMPROPER SAFETY PROCEDURES SOVIET
WORKERS SABOTAGING (1 ")PMENT TO KEEP FROM BEINIn SENT TO THE SITE.
b)(
(b)(3)3ECRETh (NOF01(b)(1) (b)(1)
(b)(3) (b)(3)
2
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SECRET/I NOFORN
ALSO REPORTED RUMORS THAT POSSIBLY 10 SOVIET SOLDIERS HAD BEEN
EXECUTED FOR TRYING TO AVOID DECONTAMINATION DUTY.
BACK INTO SERVICE DURING THE LAST TEN DAYS OF 1987.
(b)(3)
ALL CLEANUP OPERATIONS AT THE SITE ARE PROCEEDING ON SCHEDULE ANLJ
NO DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING THE TIMETABLE FOR
RESTARTING REACTOR 3. IN INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS OF THE ACCIDENT AND (b)(1)
ITS AFTERMATH, OVER 600 WORKEF(D)(3)
ENGAGED IN CLEANUP OPERATIONS AT THE SITE.
CHERNOBYL UNIT NUMBER THREE WI I (1) "s")
(b)
PLACING UP TO SIX DOSIMETERS ON THE CLEANUP WORKERS AND
STUDYING THE CORRELATED RESULTS TO DETERMINE WHICH PORTIONS OF THE
SITE WERE HOTTER THAN THE REST, AND WHICH PORTIONS OF A WORKER'S BODY
WERE MORE APT TO RECEIVE HIGHER RADIATION DOSES.
HUNDREDS OF
SOVIET CLEANUP WORKERS HAD RECEIVED FATAL DOSES OF RADIATION AT
CHERNOBYL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE BEGINNING OF CLEANUP OPERATIONS.
ONE EXAMPLE WAS A SENIOR SOVIET
ENGINEER WHO WAS A LEADING MEMBER OF THE TECHNICAL TEAM NEGOTIATING
WITH BLOCHER MOTOR FOR THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL ROBOTS TO USE AT
SECRET/ NOFORN (b)(1)
I (b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
3
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
SECRET in' NOFORN (b)(1)
CHERNOBYL. THESE NEGOTIATIONS HAD BEEN PROCEEDING FOR SEVERAL DAYS(b)(3)
IN KIEV, WHEN ONE MORNING THIS ENGINEER DID NOT APPEAR FOR THE
SESSION. HIS SOVIET COLLEAGUES EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD DIED THE
PREVIOUS EVENING OF BLEEDING FROM THE BRAIN CAUSED BY EXHAUSTION. IN
LATER DISCUSSIONS, THIS (b)(1)
ENGINEER HAD BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ON-SITE CLEANUP OPERATIONS AT (b)(3)
CHERNOBYL.
UP TO TEN SOVIET SOLDIERS WHO WERE BEING USED FOR
DECONTAMINATION WORK HAD BEEN EXECUTED FOR TRYING TO RUN AWAY FPnItA
THE SITE.
(b)(1)
EMPLOYEES ON SITE DID HAVE FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF (b)(3)
SOVIET WORKERS DELIBERATELY SABOTAGING PIECES OF EQUIPMENT SO THEY
WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE SITE AND BE EXPOSED TO MORE
RADIATIONJ SOME SOVIET TECHNICIANS TOLD
THEM THAT CERTAIN SPOTS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE READING 10 TO THE
EIGHTH RADS PER HOUR RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. REGARDING SOVIET
SAFETY DOCTRINE DURING THE CLEANUP OPERATION,
EMPLOYEES HAD SEEN THE SOVIETS USE ROBOTIC CONCRETE SPRAYERS FROM THE
WEST GERMAN FIRM PUTTSMEISTER, WITH THE LEAD SHIELDING REMOVED AND
DRIVERS IN THE CAB, MANEUVERING RIGHT UP AGAINST THE CONCRETE WALL OF
UNIT 4. COMMENT: PUTTSMEISTER SOLD THESE UNITS WITH THE
SHIELDING ON AND WITH FULL REMOTE CONTROL CAPABILITY. IT IS NOT
KNOWN WHY THE SOVIETS CHOSE TO OPERATE THEM IN THIS MANNER.)
5. pOMMENT: BLOCHER MOTOR WON THE INITIAL US$40 MILLION
CONTRACT FROM THE SOVIETS TO SUPPLY ADDITIONAL ROBOTS AND A REMOTE
CONTROL COMMAND CENTER AFTER THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT-SUPPLIED ROBOTS (b)(1)
BEGAN TO FAIL.) THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT'S NUCLEAR (b)(3)
EMERGENCY BRIGADE SUPPLIED THE SOVIETS WITH THREE ROBOTS: 1 MF-2 4
'(b)(1)
MF-3 AND ONE 30-TON REMOTE-CONTROLLED BULLDOZER. TI-lksw_a\
ROBOTS FAILED SHORTLY AFTER DEPLOYMENT BECAUSE POWER SUPPLY ""'")
FLUCTUATIONS HAD BURNED OUT THESE UNITS' ELECTRONICS.
CONTRACT WAS FOR 1 MF-3 AND 1 MF-4 ROBOT, PLUS A TRAILER-SIZED
COMMAND POST CONTAINING NUMEROUS COMPUTER CONSOLES, VIDEO MONITORS,
AND REMOTE CONTROL STATIONS FOR THE ROBOTS. IN ADDITION TO THE TWO
ROBOTS COMMAND POST WAS BUILT TO CONTROL EIGHT
ROBOTIC CRANES WITH 200-FOOT LONG BOOMS, WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPLIED TO (b)(1)
THE SOVIETS BY THE WEST GERMAN FIRM LIEPER. COMMENT: (b)(3)
DISSEM:
WARNING: REPORT CLASS SECRET --WARNING NOTICE-INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES OR METHODS INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS--NOT
SECRET)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)40FORN
4
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328
(b)(1)
SECRET/ ' 'NOFORN (b)(3)
iNLL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND
CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT.
END OF MESSAGE SECRET.>
NNNNEND OF MESSAGE SECRET
Collection: CC
Creator:
#1
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: CIA
#2
Agency Acronym: CIA
Office Name: NCS �
Description: (S
NF) None
Language: eng
Precedence: R
Source:
Source #1
Attributions: CIA
Source #2
Subject: --
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
SECRET/A NOFORN 5 (b)(1)
(b)(3)
Approved for Release: 2025/03/19 C06754328