WAREHOUSE AND QUAY FOR LOADING BULGARIAN URANIUM IN VARNA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004500050004-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 17, 2007
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 15, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT Warehouse and Quay for Loading
Bulgarian Uranium in Varna
DATE OF INFO.
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
25X1
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
le An old quay which extends in an east west direction and is located between the
civilian and the military ports of Varna (now Stalin) is now used exclusively
as a place for loading Bulgarian uranium ore onto Soviet ships. It is 100 meters
long and is constructed of cut stone. 25X1
2. Near the quay there is an 80 x 10 meter wooden building with a sheet-metal roof,
used asia temporary storage warehouse for uranium ore. A ramp with a capacity
for 15 railroad cars is located on the west side of this building. Here all the
uranium ore transported in railroad cars is unloaded into hand carts and carried
into the warehouse. After the unloading, the railroad cars are swept carefully
so that no trace of uranium ore remains in them.
3. The warehouse extends lengthwise in a north-south direction and is situated
approximately 40 meters north of the quay. The warehouse area is enclosed with
a barbed wire fence about 2.5 meters high. This enclosure extends to the sea
as the quay i,s included in this area. hn the evening, this area is illuminated
by six powerful lights.
STATE ARMY x NAVY X AIR X FBI AEC
15 July 1954
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A cable car line using two cables runs between the warehouse and the quay. Fully
loaded cars use one cable to go to the quay while empty cars return to the warehouse
on the other cable. A crane on a Soviet ship picks up the fully loaded cable car
and places it in the ship for unloading. After the uranium ore from the car is
unloaded, the crane returns the car to the cable designed for the empty cable cars.
Uranium ore has been loaded only on Soviet ships and sent to the USSR. 25X1
loading of the Soviet ship KARL MARKS which sailed for the USSR on 8-10
April 1953-
6. The trains which carried uranium ore to the above-mentioned warehouse had been
designated as special trains and travelled straight through from Sofia to Varna.
In 1952, informant observed six of these special trains. He stated that one of
these trains consisted of approximately hO "EF" closed railroad cars. When these
trains were en route they were guarded by at least 20 Interior troops, chiefly
junior sergeants who were armed with Soviet Shpagin M-1941 submachine guns. The
guards did not allow anyone to come near the railroad cars.
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7. Interior troops guarded the uranium ore warehouse and its area. Th uard consisted
of about 12 men under the command of Junior Lieutenant Grigor fnu) 25X1
A guard booth with a permanen guard was 25X1
placed, on each of the four corners of the area. The area was approximately 30 meters
wide (east-west direction) and over 120 meters long (north-south direction).
8. Trudovaks from the Varna labor brigade Podelenie 24-00, particularly men from
Trudovak Battalions from Podelenie 24-40 and Podelenie 214-80, unloaded the uranium
ore. from the trains and loaded it on the Soviet -ships* About 0 Trudovaks were
needed in this work. These 25X1
men returned to their uni er having finis ed their job. Every evening they
were inspected by the guards for any hidden uranium ore.
The following legend refers to a sketch
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25X1
showing the warehouse and quay for loading uranium in Varna,
as an Appendix on page 3.-
2. Narrow-gauge railway for transporting uranium to the quay
3. Railway ramp of the depot
1. "Konte" ramp
5. Quay
6. Black Sea
7. Military ramp
8. Road to the "Georgi Dimitrov" Shipyard
9. Railway line to the "Zora" Oil Factory
10. Railway line to the Varna Railroad Station
11. The Varna Railroad Depot is 200-250 meters in this direction
14-* Barbed wire enclosure
? permanent guard post
Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6
 Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6
Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6
 Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6
Approved For Release 2007/08/17: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004500050004-6