Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy, Minatom, is keen to build a new nuclear reactor at Seversk, though it does not have the money at present.

ECONOMIST: The time-bombs of Tomsk

In mid-February, however, Minatom told the United States that it wanted to abandon the idea of converting the reactors at Seversk so that they would no longer produce plutonium.

ECONOMIST: The time-bombs of Tomsk

Mr. Robinson notes that despite these dangers, Russian support for the project remains high, especially from Viktor Mikhailov, head of the Ministry of Atomic Energy (MinAtom) and a holdover from the old Soviet era.

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