Russia Denies Causing Latest Radioactivity Over Europe; UN Agency Says Origin “Still Unclear”

Last Friday monitors with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) issued an alarming report that its radiation sensors based in Scandinavia picked up abnormal radioactivity levels in the air over the Baltics and Scandanavia. Its ultra-sensitive networked sensors set up across Europe and the world are capable of picking up nuclear weapons testing or possible nuclear power plant leakage anywhere around the globe.

The Stockholm monitoring station “detected 3 isotopes; Cs-134, Cs-137 & Ru-103 associated with Nuclear fission at higher than usual levels,” according to CTBTO chief Lassina Zerbo. The UN nuclear agency has been investigating the ‘mystery’ radioactivity, which while not considered in large enough concentrations to harm humans, still “are certainly nuclear fission products, most likely from a civil source,” according to the prior CTBTO statement. “We are able to indicate the likely region of the source, but it’s outside the CTBTO’s mandate to identify the exact origin.” 

However it’s clear that there was a release of “very low” levels of man-made radioactivity.

The UN watchdog said Tuesday that the small amounts of radioactive isotopes detected over a significant area spanning from western Russia to Baltic countries to parts of Scandinavia still have an unclear origin and cause.  

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) director general, Rafael Grossi, also sought to assure the public that “the levels reported to the IAEA are very low and pose no risk to human health and the environment.”

According to the AP, European countries are being asked to self-report any radiation releases. So far at least 29 have voluntarily reported no known incidents within their borders, including Russia. 

Recall the last major radiation release incident almost a year ago involved a failed ‘secret’ Russian advanced weapon test.

Dutch researchers have since said this latest incident likely came from “the direction of Western Russia”. This prompted a detailed denial from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov:

“We have an exceptional and modern system of monitoring nuclear safety and as you’ve seen there were no alarms related to any threatening or emergency situations,” Peskov said Monday. “We don’t know what the source is for these reports of specialists in the Netherlands,” he added.

Recall that Russia admitted to releasing significant amounts of radiation into the air last August that triggered warning alerts in the region of the far north Arctic Circle port cities of Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk.

That prior major incident occurred due to an acknowledged failed weapons test involving a “small-scale nuclear reactor” that killed Russian scientists – which was believed connected to Russia’s hypersonics program.