Russian atomic energy reaches critical masses

With more than 200 malfunctions recorded in the early 1990's the outmoded nuclear reactors in the former Soviet Union are in critical condition. Unfortunatly, there may not be enough money to monitor them, much less update them, says Artiom Ustinov, an expert in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow. In on short decade, Russia's nuclear research budget has been slashed from $1.5 billion to $250 million. That amount of money simply cannot be stretched far enough to address safety issues, Ustinov says. open-quotes Currently, nuclear reactors in the former Soviet Union pose a greater environmental threat than ever before,close quotes ustinov says. open-quotes In fact, almost half the nuclear power plants operating in Russia today are Chernobyl-like.close quotes and most of these facilities are located in such large industrial centers as Moscow and st. Petersburg, Ustinov says. The future of nuclear power in the Soviet Union remains cloudy, Ustinov concludes. open-quotes It is likely that the legacy of its development will continue to generate electricity-and controversy-in the years ahead.close quotes