The substance can be enriched for the production of nuclear weapons. Uranium barrels were brought closer to Chad, they were stored at facilities not controlled by the authorities.
The missing 2.5 tons of uranium from the territory of the Libyan test site were found. This was reported by Fox News on March 16, citing representatives of the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Near the border with Chad found 10 barrels of uranium. A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told reporters that the organization would have to verify the claim.
“There are reports in the media about the discovery of material. The IAEA is actively working to verify them,” he stressed.
Uranium enrichment centrifuges
Фото: Atomic Energy Organization of Iran
The missing material posed a radiological risk and nuclear safety issues, the experts added.
The IAEA has not officially commented on the discovery of the missing barrels of uranium in Libya.
The commander of the communications unit, LNA General Khaled al-Mahjoub, in a commentary to Al Jazeera, noted that the uranium barrels were found 5 kilometers from where they should be.
The substance in the barrels is known as yellowcake.
The substance is known as yellowcake (yellow cake) – a powder consisting of about 80% uranium oxide. It is used in the preparation of nuclear fuel for reactors, the powder can be enriched for use in nuclear weapons.
According to a senior Western diplomat, the risks associated with the material are limited but not negligible.
Earlier, IAEA experts said that uranium was stored at facilities that are not controlled by the Libyan government. The uranium storage site was supposed to be checked in 2022, but due to the dangerous situation in Libya, it was postponed to March 14 this year.
Recall that the media wrote about the conclusion of a deal between the Russian Federation and Iran on the return of enriched uranium. Russia may have warehouses with enriched Iranian uranium.
The Pentagon assessed Tehran’s ability to manufacture a nuclear bomb. This may take approximately 12 days.
