The Ukraine Return back to the Club of Nuclear Powers

On the 29th of December last year the government of the Ukraine took a decision to unite all enterprises of nuclear branch into one concern “Ukratomprom". Practically all the enterprises which are engaged in creation or work on a nuclear-fuel cycle and also scientific researches in this area are included into the structure of concern. A leader of the nuclear industry of the country - NAEC "Energoatom" will be, according to the decision of Ministry, in the chapter of "Ukratomprom".

Russia invited the Ukraine to participate in the project of creation of international centre on enrichment with uranium in Angarsk. The first vice-president on economic policy and corporate development of national atomic energy generating company (NAEC) “Enrgoatom” announced. 

Actually the Ukraine being the country with the developed nuclear power, obviously takes steps to enter the club of world nuclear powers and on this way it has more chances for success than the countries of the third world much less developed in the field of nuclear technologies.

All in all there are in the world 73 companies which maintain nuclear reactors. There are about 450 nuclear reactors. And the Ukrainian "Energoatom" is the sixth by its size nuclear company in the world. In the territory of the Ukraine besides notorious Chernobyl, there are also Rovno, South-Ukrainian, Khmelnitskiy and Zaporozhskaya atomic power stations. The Ukraine possesses both ready technologies in the field of nuclear power and is capable to get independently in the shortest terms necessary technologies as soon as it possesses also developed scientific-production base in this field and own high-class personnel.

"Ukratomprom" is going to involve investments for the development of the branch. First of all, in creation of elements of a nuclear-fuel cycle. The Ukraine extracts uranium by itself and is capable to enrich it, but this uranium is not enough to cover the needs even of "Energoatom". To increase extraction of uranium is necessary to put greater means and the Ukraine is going both to increase extraction and to involve the means. Meanwhile all means which were put into development of uranium branch were taken from the budget.  Now with the creation of the concern the Ukrainians began to search for the investors who would place their money into development of new deposits aiming to increase extraction of uranium in the Ukraine.  

The Ukraine is going to continue construction of new APS. It’s estimated in the energetic strategy of the Ukraine that to the 2030 there should be constructed about 20 new energy blocks.

At such developed atomic engineering which no other developed country can boast of, perhaps, except for the USA and Russia, full absence of own military constituent nuclear branch in the Ukraine is evident. Moreover, the Ukraine in the beginning of 90th transferred all the warheads that were on its territory, all the rockets, capable to bear fighting blocks and all strategic bombers Tu-160 at the disposal of Russia thus remaining the denuclearized country with fabulous developed atomic engineering.

However establishing of statehood in the Ukraine, besides on a background of purchase of nuclear technologies by the countries which haven’t has anything similar earlier (Israel, India, Pakistan, Iran which is on the way and Syria, Brazil, etc. in the perspective) brings attention to the question of renewal of a military constituent in nuclear branch of the Ukraine.

Indirectly it is specified by clear aspiration to increase own extraction and manufacture of the enriched uranium as well as intention to receive it from the outside in lots.

Today there are no technological obstacles to the Ukraine for creation of own nuclear bomb. Having firm decision creation of nuclear charge would take obviously less than a year of work of the Ukrainian specialists.

All the more so there is no problem in creation of the carrier for nuclear fighting block. The Ukraine is the carrier of technologies of construction of ballistic missiles and is capable to produce them also in a very short time. Also, though and in a little longer terms, the Ukraine is capable to create a bomber capable of bearing rockets with nuclear warheads. However, one year ago the Ukraine in coordination with the USA has finished liquidation of the distant bombers which it has got from the USSR but at least 3 pieces of Tu-22M remain in the country as museum exhibits and if necessary restoration of production of such equipment is possible due to own production powers.

What can push the Ukraine to speeding up of own military nuclear program? It hardly could be worsening of relations with Russia - for some reasons the exchange of nuclear attacks between Russia and the Ukraine is impossible, even theoretically. It hardly could be also cooling of relations the USA - not only for competitiveness but even for minimal non-loyalty towards the United States the Ukraine in the foreseeable future will hardly have enough resources.

More likely the matter is in the fears of the Ukraine dealing with weakening of control of the USA over world policy, increase of contradictions even between allies in NATO and growth of potential threats to the Ukraine which neither the USA nor Russia are capable to prevent. It also can be potential threat of territory of the Ukraine from the part of new nuclear powers (in particular, Iran which rockets already today are capable to hit the target on the territory of the Ukraine) and appearance of new members of "nuclear club".

On this background readiness in the shortest terms to develop own military nuclear program has great value to the Ukraine. At least, such program can prevent potential threat of partition of the country by virtue of the internal reasons or aggressions of the neighbours.

Apparently, the Ukraine is preparing for such script.