The action means the Yongbyon reactor complex, where the plutonium for North Korea's presumed small arsenal of nuclear weapons was produced, will be without international monitoring for the first time in nearly two years.

VOA: standard.2009.04.15

In a major and welcomed development, Russia announced that it will close its last weapons-grade plutonium production reactor.

WHITEHOUSE: Nuclear Security Summit: Presidential Press Conference

This came close to exploding and blowing the plutonium-fuelled reactor to smithereens.

ECONOMIST: Japan

Russia also said it would shut down its last plutonium-producing reactor.

ECONOMIST: Disarmament and counter-proliferation