Russia to dispose of mothballed nuclear subs and ships

Russia will dispose of all its decommissioned nuclear submarines and ships by 2010, according to Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev.

In the economic troubles that plagued the military after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia decommissioned scores of nuclear submarines and other atomic-powered vessels. Most are slowly deteriorating in naval scrapyards, raising concerns about leakage or theft of nuclear material.