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Greenpeace Vladivostok Report 

 6 November 1991 



more are no longer operational: a raised Charlie-submarine which sank in 1983 and the exploded 

 Victor submarine. 



Serious accidents continue to occur. A Typhoon ballistic missile submarine suffered a 

 missile launch failure in the White Sea in late September 1991. With such a safety record, the 

 Soviet Union's large nuclear-powered submarine fleet, either may have been constrained by its 

 reliability, or, with its frequent accidents, may have been partially necessitated to keep an 

 adequate number of reliable submarines at sea. 



The prospects for improvements in the future are not good. The naval ofiiceis in the 

 Vladivostok region expressed special concern about more refuelling accidents. One Vladivostok 

 region naval officer said, "in principle, and in practice,' the possibility of accident like the 1985 

 disaster could not be excluded. With deCTeasing resources negatively affecting training and the 

 availability of materials, the chances of accidents occurring may even increase. 



Z Fuel enrichment levels and refuellings 



Older submarines seemingly have much lower fuel enrichment levels than U.S. submarines. 

 Experts in Moscow and the Northern Fleet indicated the fiiel in older submarines is enriched to 

 40^60 percent uranium-235 (the newest subs reportedly have levels comparable to the U.S., Le. 

 greater than 90 percent). The 198S accident Victor submarine's fuel reportedly was only enriched 

 to 20 percent 



Refuellings of submarines may occur much more frequently than in the west The naval 

 ofGcers in Vladivostok said older submarines are refuelled every S-10 years. But experts in 

 Moscow and the Northern Fleet, said four years, and sometimes less, between refuellings is not 

 atypical. 



The low level of enrichment of Soviet fuel casts a different light on the size and pattern of 

 operations of the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine force, and its availability for operations. 

 Other things being equal, such low levels of enrichment means a larger force of two reactor 

 submarines with an average low operating tempo would be needed to keep a required number of 

 adequately fuelled submarines at the ready. Conversely, subs that were operating at high levels, 

 would be undergoing frequent refuellings, limiting their availability and increasing the chances 

 they suffered a refuelling incident 



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