Mayak nuke storage facility secured

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, in partnership with Russia, has completed security upgrades at the Mayak nuclear weapons storage facility.

The NNSA partnered with Rosatom, Russia's nuclear energy and materials agency, to modernize the Mayak Production Association in Ozersk, Russia. The modernization is part of an effort to ensure the weapons-grade nuclear material stored at the facility is secure. NNSA officials are calling the completed security upgrades at Mayak a milestone achievement for nuclear security work.

"Ensuring the security of one of Russia's largest long-term storage facilities is a signal toward enhancing nuclear security, and shows the continued progress under the agreement signed by Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin at Bratislava," William Tobey, NNSA deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation, said in a statement.

The NNSA says Mayak is the largest nuclear materials storage facility to be modernized for long-term security as part of the Bush-Putin Bratislava Initiative.