The United Kingdom participated in an international operation that removed highly enriched uranium from Venezuela to the United States in a mission coordinated with American authorities.
According to the website UK Defence Journal, around 13.5 kilograms of enriched uranium were removed from the RV-1 research reactor, located at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) near Caracas. The RV-1 was Venezuela’s first and only nuclear reactor and had previously been supplied under the American “Atoms for Peace” program.
The nuclear material was prepared for transport at the end of April and sent to the Savannah River nuclear complex in South Carolina, a facility used by the United States for the storage and processing of sensitive nuclear materials.
The operation involved American and British authorities, along with technical support from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to U.S. officials, the operation was completed more than two years ahead of the originally planned schedule.
Washington stated that the removal of the uranium is part of global efforts to reduce stockpiles of nuclear material that could be used in the production of weapons. “By leading the removal of dangerous nuclear material from Venezuela, the United States is safer and has strengthened nuclear security around the world,” emphasized the U.S. Department of State.
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