ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the problems of dealing with the radioactive waste resulting from the operation of nuclear-powered vessels by the Soviet Union and Russia. From the early 1950s, the Soviet Union had an active program for the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and surface vessels for military and civilian purposes. By the beginning of 1994, the Soviet Union had constructed 256 nuclear-powered vessels including: 243 submarines, three cruisers, one communications/missile-range ship, eight icebreakers, and one transport ship. The nuclear accident aboard an Echo II SSGN in 1989, lead the Russian Navy to accelerate the retirement of its aging first generation submarines. Since then, the numbers of retirements has continued apace. Through January 1993, a total of around 80 nuclear submarines had been decommissioned. The facilities for handling and storing nuclear waste generated by the civilian nuclear-powered fleet are located on land and aboard five icebreaker service ships.
