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Russia Detects a Significant Radiation Spike In Mountains Close To Soviet-Era Nuclear Plant (nytimes.com)

According to a report via The New York Times, Russia said that it had detected a significant radiation spike in the Ural Mountains, close to a sprawling Soviet-era nuclear plant still remembered as the site of an accident 60 years ago. Russia did however reject suggestions that it was the source of a radioactive cloud that hovered over Europe. From the report: The location of the spike -- in the Chelyabinsk region near the border with Kazakhstan -- has been identified by French and German nuclear safety institutions as a potential source for a concentration of a radioactive isotope called ruthenium 106 detected in the air in late September above several European countries. But nuclear energy authorities in Moscow insisted Monday that still-higher levels of atmospheric contamination had been detected outside Russia, in southeastern Europe. Reports of the elevated radiation levels over Western Europe raised alarms, but nuclear safety authorities in France and Germany said there was no threat to human health or to the environment -- an assurance repeated on Tuesday by Moscow. The Russian state weather service Roshydromet said it had found what the Russian news media described as "extremely high pollution" at two monitoring facilities within a 62-mile radius of the Mayak nuclear reprocessing and isotope production plant. A weather station in the town of Argayash recorded ruthenium 106 levels that were 986 times higher than a month earlier, the state weather agency said. A second station at Novogorny detected levels 440 times higher. Ruthenium 106, which does not occur naturally and has a half-life of about a year, is used for medical purposes.

For weeks, Russian officials had denied the French and German accusations. Citing the results of its own air monitoring on European territory, Moscow pointed to high radiation levels over Romania, Italy and Ukraine, insisting that there had been only a negligible presence of ruthenium 106 on Russian territory. On Tuesday, even after the Russian agency acknowledged the radiation spike in the Urals, Maxim Yakovenko, the head of Roshydromet, said in a statement that higher levels of contamination had been detected in Romania than in Russia. "The published data is not sufficient to establish the location of the pollution source," he said. The authorities at Mayak denied in a news release on Tuesday that the plant had contributed to the increased levels of ruthenium 106 and insisted that there was no threat to human beings.

125 comments

  1. The accident mentioned in the article... by DrTJ · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...is known as the "Mayak incident", or the "Kyshtym disaster". It is the third largest ever nuclear mishap (after Chernobyl and Fukushima).

    It occurred in 1958 (I think), and it was not caused by a nuclear critical event, but rather "mundane" (but very large - equivalent of somewhere around 100 tonnes of TNT) chemical explosion within nuclear waste (mostly ammonium nitrates IIRC) which spread the waste over large distances. No one was directly killed by the event.

    1. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Hentes · · Score: 5, Interesting

      There were a series of accidents at Mayak, this is just another one. It's worth noting that this is not a power plant but a military installation producing weapons grade plutonium. Together, the accidents (one of which was actually caused by an idiot pouring a plutonium solution down the drain) have released more radioactive material than Chernobyl and Fukushima put together. The only reason this didn't result in a major catastrophe is because the surrounding area is very sparsely inhabited. But while the number of direct deaths was low, because the authorities kept the whole thing under wraps (doctors weren't allowed to diagnose people in the area with cancer for example), the number of deaths from radiation poisoning of the groundwaters is very hard to determine. We are not talking about a single big event here, more of a contamination that have been going on for decades, and because of this its impact is staggeringly large compared to its "visibility".

    2. Re: The accident mentioned in the article... by sTERNKERN · · Score: 0

      An anonymus coward and his mental illness on display. How wonderful. Please tell me what your point is with that comment, it has no added value (unlike the parent post), but you seem to be sure you had something to say. I just wonder what it is.

    3. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      No one was directly killed by the event.

      Yes, Russian Television reports is perfectly safe, no harm done, enjoy pleasant glow to save money on flashlights.

    4. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by cosmicl · · Score: 1

      "The published data is not sufficient to establish the location of the pollution source," Suppose something like this happened in the US. One can easily imagine a similar statement from the current head of the US EPA.

    5. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As per current trends, I imagine the statement would be more like: "But China and Russia are releasing tons more radiation than we are, therefore we aren't obligated to do anything."

    6. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Together, the accidents (one of which was actually caused by an idiot pouring a plutonium solution down the drain) have released more radioactive material than Chernobyl and Fukushima put together.

      citable source?

    7. Re: The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Replying to Ad Hominem with Ad Hominem is rarely helpful.

    8. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do they not have Google in Russia?

    9. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2

      Mayak is not just a military installation for producing weapons grade plutonium, it is also the main Russian spent fuel reprocessing site and an important site for medical radioisotope creation.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    10. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Tailhook · · Score: 1

      It occurred in 1958 (I think)

      September 29, 1957.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
    11. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Russia, Google has them.

      (and everywhere else, it seems)

    12. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      eh, why they need it? they have sputnik and russiatoday

    13. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean they'll reply with a whataboutism? Did Russia patent those?

    14. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      one of which was actually caused by an idiot pouring a plutonium solution down the drain

      Idiot is too kind. The guy won himself an instant Darwin award despite surviving for over a month after his stupidity:
      http://darwinawards.com/darwin...

    15. Re:The accident mentioned in the article... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Radiation almost never directly kills anyone, unless they get a megadose. The problem is that radiation kills a LOT of people INDIRECTLY, and over a very long span of time.

  2. Putin-speak style of denial by Jzanu · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Yes, we detected one of our radioactive clouds. It has nothing to do with you radioactive clouds. It is Russian."

    1. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Fact 1. It's the same single isotope, and it's concentrated in russia. Very unlikely to be 2 unrelated events, and Mayak is a highly probable source.

      Fact 2. Soviet era nuclear industry that the current Russian state has inherited has a long history of lying about and trying to hide nuclear accidents. They have very little credibility on this.

    2. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure Anatoly, sure.
      Anything else you'd like to relay on from great leader Putin?

    3. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Jzanu · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You sound exactly like a bad Russian troll brigade recruit. But serious answer: The environmental fate of radioactive particles is subject to quite a few natural processes, as well as human movements of contaminated materials which then are subject to different processes at the new site(s). The short half-life of ruthenium 106 and its presence in exactly two areas means more than casual geospatial separation. You have no context for any watershed movements beneath the surface or even above it. That is requried for distance to matter or not, as that is what allows the radioactive pollution to travel. Russia has long failed in enforcing clean-up of industrial sites, and the Soviet successors have only done anything with massive international backing (The Sarcophagus at Chernobyl, etc.).

    4. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are no (or next to none) "russian trolls", american idiots. Most of the people who criticize you for your incessant propaganda, are the people who emigrated to the west from former USSR and cannot bear any more your nazi anti Russian attitudes. You have been conned by your "three letter agencies".

      Meanwhile these agencies have MUCH greater volume of data on you than was ever dreamt of by KGB, and they will use it against you if and when they will need to, contrary to what they tell you.

    5. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Jzanu · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sure Ivan, I might believe you, except for: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=web+briga...

    6. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      John Oliver just mentioned this style of argumentation on his last episode. He showed how Trump and his supporters abused "whataboutism", by using contrast whenever presented with a big issue that had no justification in itself, thus relying on shifting focus to something else by opponents or even the interviewers themselves. They also mentioned this kind of argumentation was, and apparently still is, very common in Russian-style propaganda, going back to the 40's and 50's.

    7. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think Trump or the GOP in general needs any education about deflection. A party that is capable of claiming 'dead panels' and not only getting away with it, but getting political gain out of it knows a thing or two about propaganda and deflection.

    8. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I personally know several people who emigrated from Russia, they are the very last ones I would expect to support Russia/Putin.

    9. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The mention of 106Ru without any mention of the other more prominent Radionuclides leads me to the conclusion that whatever bad happened was very recent, and not six decades back. That would be some 59 Half-Lifes.
      I find it unlikely that it came from a Medical Facility, they just don't use enough, to be detected in this way. Fuel Reprocessing may be more likely, but it would have to be very recent Fuel, "Fresh Fission", and that is usually kept somewhere cool for a few years to calm down. So either an Incident, or a very bad Incident.
      A bit more troubling is that 106Ru is pretty much only a Fission Product of 239Pu, (Bad joke: Putinium.), so Fuel alone would appear to be less and less likely, and either a sudden booboo concerning the production, or separation, of 239Pu more and more likely.
      Without other Radionuclides present, separation is most likely, and Russia isn't supposed to be doing that.
      A useful Graphic of Fission Yields;
      https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/ThermalFissionYield.svg
      Putinium indeed.

    10. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      John Oliver just mentioned this style of argumentation on his last episode....

      A well educated population helps of course, but perhaps the parent points to the answer.

      What if we required say 4 years of debate in high school. Included with that would be identifying all the common and even the uncommon ways to deflect, dodge, change the subject, lie, obfuscate, mislead, etc, etc. Include a couple years in college as well. Toss in plenty of practical knowledge of the scientific method, understanding statistics, etc.

      Seriously.

      Make every American that graduates our schooling system an expert at detecting bullshit. The course should be as even handed as possible. Point out flaws everywhere. Spare no one. In short arm people for the modern day.

    11. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is propaganda, you have been conned. The opposition to your propaganda on the internet is in its greater part voluntary.

      I am going often to comment US anti Russian propaganda on the Independent, the Guardian and where not, and I am seeing there, among people with opinions similar to mine, mainly people just as myself (born in USSR, emigrated to the west at some stage). I have not seen there any professional propagandists but just people furious over your lies.

      You are being brainwashed by your "mainstream news", them being probably brainwashed by your "intelligence services" (if I were you I would be worried about the latter MUCH more than about the mythical "Russian agents", in part also because they OBVIOUSLY lie to you about Russia; but then, since Snowden, you should have bigger worries).

      You gullible fools...

    12. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure Ivan, but you know if Russia actually had a decent military they would've been happy with the territory they had. Fucking with Ukraine and others is inviting actual EU and US intervention to knock your sorry asses back into the stone age. Threaten North Korea, because that is your level, but you are sadly outclassed by even the EU air forces. Russia is a poor, failing state.

    13. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You should inform yourself more and try to reason independently, not delegating this task to CNN, BBC and their likes.

      In Europe people at least try to think by themselves, you on the other hand just parrot State Department propaganda.

    14. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "But Bush". That's what I heard from Obama for 8 years.
      Whataboutism is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for both parties, and always has been.
      John Oliver is hardly some insightful genius, or even a decent comedian for that matter, but if that's what you think passes for remark-worthy insight, you need to expand your horizons.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    15. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      They also mentioned this kind of argumentation was, and apparently still is, very common in Russian-style propaganda, going back to the 40's and 50's.

      Uh bud. Hate to break it to you, but that kind of argumentation was and still is very common everywhere. If you need an example, look at the handwaving that democrats are currently doing with Al Franken.

      By the way, has Oliver ever given Trump that campaign contribution he promised?

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    16. Re: Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not the A.C. above, but surely you see the irony in defending Russia against "state propaganda" yes?

    17. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by crunchygranola · · Score: 1

      The mention of 106Ru without any mention of the other more prominent Radionuclides leads me to the conclusion that whatever bad happened was very recent, and not six decades back. That would be some 59 Half-Lifes....

      Mod this guy up, everything he says is exactly right (and he provides a very informative link).

      This is a release from an active plutonium processing plant which is handling relatively fresh fuel (less than a decade old, perhaps very fresh).

      --
      Second class citizen of the New Gilded Age
    18. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I find it unlikely that it came from a Medical Facility, they just don't use enough, to be detected in this way.

      This is false. The amounts detected were very low. In fact, the most interesting tech aspect of this story is the network of sensors for monitoring radioactive atmospheric events and their extreme sensitivities.

    19. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      "But Bush". That's what I heard from Obama for 8 years.

      Sure, but while he was doing better. Not at all things; Obama was at least as much of a warhawk as Bush. He may even have created more refugees. But that's America for you.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    20. Re: Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read Russian language, English language and some other languages news sources - and especially readers comments on these sites, often much more informative than the articles.

      I don't say everything in your media is propaganda, but there is so much of it, especially, but surely not only, regarding Russia (your 17 intelligence agencies who "have found Russian hacking", the ads for 100K$ which dupe the poor deplorables to vote for Trump and change the results of your elections and much much more).

      On the other hand I doubt that you have similar information about the Russian side (after all, your MS media and your politicians told you it is ALL lies and propaganda..).

      So, irony or not, you are not informed enough.

    21. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be a problem when they arrived at the DNC indoctrination camps we call our public university system.

    22. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by boudie2 · · Score: 1

      I expect John Oliver to have his green card pulled any day now. Then Piers Morgan and him can do a podcast about how crazy the U.S.A. is.

    23. Re: Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      stupid russian thinks being russian gives insight into russian propaganda against western interests

    24. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      I heard they eat babies daily in state college. You would expect that to make them a more expensive higher education, but apparently private college don't get the babies despite the hunderds of thou per year. I really wanted my kids to get the full college experience when I send them to Harvard...

      I guess the state ends up paying for those babies. State college should just go away and stop being the money drain it is. And then we would have MORE labour out of all the babies saved.

    25. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      Did you just whatabout me? It kinda went through my mind like this:

      "Whatabout no. Whatabout everyone whatabouting everywhere. Whatabout this totally unrelated example of Al Franken and democrats not whatabouting?

      BTW, whatabout this campaign contribution promise from this comedian who fortunately can interchange irony with opinion freely, since he has an audience that gets it AND is mostly immune to things like whataboutism?"

    26. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      Oh boy, yes he is. He is so much better than most American comedians at present. It goes to show you needed to import some quality.

      I dare say most of your decent comedians of late are first or second generation immigrants, just like your smart guys leading your tech companies.

    27. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cloud.pt · · Score: 1

      Trump/Putin supporters (trolls) strategy of late when confronting factual data:
      "find me a citation" ...then proceed to troll someone else while affected person actually goes find a citation.

      Trump/Putin supporters (trolls) strategy when data presents a citation, either a priori or afterwards:
      "fake news"

      Trum/Putin supporters when asked for a citation:
      "Trump/Putin said it. He's the president. Everything else is fake news"

    28. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bush at least tried to put Iraq and Afghanistan back together. Obama ran from those countries then ISIS and the Taliban took over and there are now slave markets in Libya.

    29. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Bush at least tried to put Iraq and Afghanistan back together.

      You mean by handing no-bid contracts to his cronies at Halliburton? Oh yeah, let's all line up to suck his dick for that. While we're at it, we can squeeze his balls for our military's policy of force-segregating cities which had been integrated largely peacefully for years. Kind of reminds me of what we did in Iran, in a way. We just love to stir up religious hatred in the mid-east. Speaking of which, how much are we sending to Israel this year?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    30. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The estimated release was around 200 Terabecqerels, (Around 5000 Curies. A Curie is a very large thing.) That would be, depending on the therapy, between 5 and 15 _Billion_ doses, at ~20MBq each. Unlikely is a word that is off by many orders of magnitude; these are very uncommon procedures. In any event, the trend for decades has been to make these kinds of Nuclides on the fly at Medical Cyclotrons. There are only a handful of Separation Plants, but a couple of hundred Cyclotrons scattered around the World; especially for the very short lived Positron-Emitting stuff, like 18F.
      The detected 106Ru levels were low, and very safe, but the huge area covered meant the release was quite high.
      Yes, I used to do these kinds of things for a living, but since you were polite, you get a pass.

    31. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by smooth+wombat · · Score: 0

      The reason for the 'whataboutism' during Obama's tenure related directly to the whiners who were accusing Obama of this and that while completely ignoring Bush had done the exact same thing and didn't say one word.

      It was a perfectly legitimate argument to use. If one didn't complain when Bush did it, one cannot complain when Obama did it.

      Remember all those "illegal" executive orders Obama signed? Too bad Bush had more and both were outclassed by Reagan. And after whining about those "illegal" executive orders, what does the con artist do? Start signing more "illegal" executive orders on his first day in office.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    32. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Mashiki · · Score: 1

      Did you just whatabout me? It kinda went through my mind like this:

      No, I pointed out the glaring hypocrisy and stupidity that argument made. See, you've just had a taste of being held to your own standards and don't like it.

      --
      Om, nomnomnom...
    33. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean you did more... whataboutism! Always knew you and RB16 were paid troll shills.

    34. Re:Putin-speak style of denial by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      It's not just about "how many" were signed, it's more about how they were used. Obama signed quite a few unilaterally where ethically, Congress should've been involved. Imagine if Trump tried to issue an EO ending the ACA because Congress wasn't moving fast enough - not possible, of course. He probably would though if he could, and that's not cool either.
      In any case, it usually bites them back in the butt because an EO can always be undone by the following administration.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
  3. Who still cares about what Russia says? by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For weeks, Russian officials had denied the French and German accusations

    At this point, who the fuck cares what Russia says. The current Russian regime has lost all credibility.

    1. Russia: "There are no Russian troops in Crimea"
    One month later: Crimea is annexed by Russia
    Russia: "Of course there were Russian troops in Crimea"

    2. Russia: "The hundreds of trucks at the Ukrainian border are just delivering humanitarian supplies"
    One month later: Ukrainian separatists fight back the Ukrainian government offensive which went pretty well up to that point.

    3. Russia: "There are no Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. Only some guys on 'vacation' "
    One month later: Russian soldiers boast about skirmishes with Ukrainian forces on social media. Mothers and wives of Russian soldiers demand answers from the Russian government on why so many sons and fathers die during 'training exercises'

    4. Russia: "Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was not shot down by Ukrainian rebels using Russian supplied missiles"
    Immediately thereafter: Separatist boasts on social media about shooting down Ukrainian airplane. Post quickly disappears. Photographic evidence and witnesses report of a Buk surface-to-air missile launcher being moved from eastern Ukraine into Russia.

    5. Russia: "The Syrian army did not use chemical weapons against rebel positions"
    UN investigation: missiles were launched during the time of the attack from Syrian army controlled territory. Russia uses UN security council veto 10 times to block further investigations.

    6. Russia: "Our olympic athletes are not using illegal substances as this is rigorously controlled by our anti-doping-agency.
    Independent Investigation: systematic state-sponsored doping of Russian athletes is uncovered. 19 national anti-doping organisations recommend suspending Russia from participation in all sports.

    7. Russia: "We have photographic evidence that the US is supporting ISIS"
    Immediately after: Media reveals that the evidence are screenshots of a video game.

    Russia expects to be taken seriously about anything they have to say? Why?

    1. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Russia expects to be taken seriously about anything they have to say? Why?

      And yet Trump says he trusts Putin.....

    2. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      5 and 7 are pretty suspect - 7 was a random twitter account which could have been anyone, and 5 was contradicted by MIT investigation.

    3. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Russia expects to be taken seriously about anything they have to say? Why?

      And yet Trump says he trusts Putin.....

      I think an important distinction to be made is that the average American is not Trump in much the same vein as the average Russian is not Putin.

      It's simply that average people lack the sociopathic characteristics necessary to rise to power in modern politics.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    4. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Trump *says* lots of things he knows are untrue.

      He tries to drown our the big lies with a million little lies, so you don't see the big ones.

      I find it bizarre that the few accounts available publicly show signs of fraud, he has 200+ shell companies almost all just empty with him and family and trusted people as directors, offshore accounts, vastly inflated property prices and borrowing to match. And yet people somehow kid themselves that his company accounts are the one place he *isn't* lying.

    5. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Nidi62 · · Score: 1

      5 and 7 are pretty suspect - 7 was a random twitter account which could have been anyone, .

      #7 was a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry.....

      --
      The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
    6. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, people trust Russia more than America, given your dire record for the past 70 years, and much thanks to a few honest people who leak information about what the NSA, CIA, and Pentagon are doing today.

    7. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Putin denies it. That's all I can say. He denies it. And by the way, he totally denies it. He says it didn't happen and you know, you have to listen to him."

    8. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      However the average American or the average Russian doesn't have the Power or Authority to affect the world.
      That said the Average Joe or Nicholi, also has to deal with their own priorities, and want their leaders to be working for their best interests so they don't need to worry every day that they will get bombed, or have troops enter their home and arrest them for wrong thinking.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    9. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Not-a-Neg · · Score: 2

      The average person voted for Trump.

      --
      -==- Buy a Mac and leave me alone!
    10. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by MikeMo · · Score: 1

      Reminds me of an episode of Cops I saw a few weeks ago. A person was arrested for suspected drug dealing, but they couldn’t find any drugs on him. So they take him into a closed room for a “closer” search. Drugs fall out of his anus during the search. He says “I don’t know where that came from.” And then “That’s not mine.”

      Would make Putin proud.

    11. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      So you're going to spout off all this pro-US propaganda without a single mention of American lies? As if the US government didn't lose all credibility decades ago? CIA, is that you? And if not, why are people spouting US government propaganda?

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    12. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Technically, not quite true (or else it is equally true to say "the average person voted for Hillary").

    13. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      and the government of your country should be taken seriously? has credibility? hahahaha!

    14. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How are the russian ACs supposed to eat if you keep posting their deflections and whataboutisms for them? You monster.

    15. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Moore also denies it

    16. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by allcoolnameswheretak · · Score: 1

      and the government of your country should be taken seriously? has credibility? hahahaha!

      Well, yes. My country is a western European country where we have real division of powers, a free press, freedom of speech, no Internet censorship and people can demonstrate, complain and bitch about the government and our leaders all they want without getting thrown into jail or shot.
      So you know, all those little things that Russia doesn't offer.

      Oh, and the leaders of my country where not connected with Panama or Paradise papers, unlike some people in the inner circle of Putin's Oligarch/KGB club.

    17. Re:Who still cares about what Russia says? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's the US got to do with anything? This is an article about an incident in Russia.

      Also, it's not propaganda if it's verifiably true, and all the things the GP said are verifiably true, in most cases not even by US sources - Putin himself admitted to annexing Crimea with his soldier in the end, even the Chinese agree Russia shot down MH17, and the committee investigating Russian doping consisted of people from countless neutral countries across the globe.

      So what you're really saying is that you love Russia, wont have anything bad said against it, and fuck the USA right? Okay then. There's a word for that, it's bias.

  4. Something something Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Damn, 16 posts in and no snowflake's TDS has been triggered by the word 'Russia' yet? I must be the only american awake.

    1. Re: Something something Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Fuck you. Happy?

    2. Re: Something something Trump! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's more action than he'll ever get.

  5. It's pure ruthenium spike, no other radioactive el by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It seems that the Russians honestly don't have a clue what exactly happened.
    https://www.rbc.ru/society/21/11/2017/5a142dfa9a794738d70d7ec7

  6. Re:Stick to tech news by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    usa legacy media now sees russia everywhere excuse/explanation is needed.

    Did you sell your account to russian trolls, or have you always been a russian troll? That's a pretty low UID.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  7. Re:Stick to tech news by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 0

    It is funny that finding trace amounts of a radioactive material in the atmosphere is billed as a 'radioactive cloud' and results in so many alarmist articles. Meanwhile, all the truly dangerous crap being released into the atmosphere is everyday ho hum.

    Once again, proof of media ignorance about radiation risk.

  8. Re:Stick to tech news by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 2, Funny

    usa legacy media now sees russia everywhere excuse/explanation is needed.

    Did you sell your account to russian trolls, or have you always been a russian troll? That's a pretty low UID.

    Just know this: Chernnbyl happened, and O'Bama stood by and did nothing.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  9. Re:Stick to tech news by Jzanu · · Score: 4, Informative

    I hope you just don't understand the idiocy you are spouting, because https://www.lenntech.com/perio...

    "All ruthenium compounds should be regarded as highly toxic and as carcinogenic. Compounds of ruthenium stain the skin very strongly. It seems that ingested ruthenium is retained strongly in bones. Ruthenium oxide, RuO4, is highly toxic and volatile, and to be avoided."

    Then the very next paragraph "Rhutenium 106 is one of the radionuclides involved in atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, which began in 1945, with a US test, and ended in 1980 with a Chinese test. It is among the long-lived radionuclides that have produced and will continue to produce increased cancers risk for decades and centuries to come."

  10. This is Russia speaking... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It wasn't us, pinky swear!!!

  11. Re:Stick to tech news by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

    The toxicity has zero to do with the radioactivity.

    Ruthenium is used in some thin film solar cells. People working with it are exposed to trace levels of it, much greater than anyone in the path of this 'cloud'. Why does THAT not scare you so much?

    You know what you should be scared of. Its a chemical you are exposed to at 1000 times normal levels when you are near automotive traffic or gas stations. It causes various forms of cancer, can cause birth defects, convulsions, and various other things. Why are there no headlines about BENZENE!!!!!!

  12. Re:Stick to tech news by drinkypoo · · Score: 0

    Just know this: Chernnbyl happened, and O'Bama stood by and did nothing.

    Forget that, what about the emails?!1!?1?1?!!/1/11?1?!!?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  13. Re:Stick to tech news by Jzanu · · Score: 2

    Did you miss the part about being absorbed into bones like Strontium 90? Did you miss the parts about cancer-causing for centuries? Also the bit about the largest source in the environment being from decades old weapons tests didn't tip you off at all?

  14. Re:Stick to tech news by Not-a-Neg · · Score: 1

    Those must be the same people puzzled by unexplained bright objects around the globe in the night sky that appear to "burn bright", "have a tail", and "disappear" after traveling on a continuous arc for a few seconds. MUST BE ALIENS!

    --
    -==- Buy a Mac and leave me alone!
  15. Soviet era---about the state by p51d007 · · Score: 1

    Back during the communist era, the "core" of the soviet state, Russia, was about protecting Russia. The satellite states be damned. Heck, they've always done that all the way back to Peter the Great. Give up outside territory, to protect the core. Same thing in the soviet era. All the risky crap was mostly done OUTSIDE native Russian empire area, so that if something did go wrong, it would not impact the "motherland".

  16. Re:Stick to tech news by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

    Do you understand that levels and exposure amounts are important considerations? Trace amounts of lots of stuff are out there.

  17. Re: Stick to tech news by Traksius+Egas · · Score: 1

    Lol. Nice.

  18. Re:Stick to tech news by Jzanu · · Score: 2

    Exposure is cumulative, and once in the environment it is bio-accumulated in algae, shellfish, etc. Guess what that does when people eat contaminated sea food? Guess what that does when they eat crops grown in contaminated soil? Guess what that odes when they drink water contaminated by exposure from runoff? You need to learn more science, your chemistry and radiology are lacking. Reading a pamphlet for a limited occupation exposure does not inform you on its behavior in the world.

  19. Overrated? Abject coward. by drinkypoo · · Score: 0

    Here, mod this down, too. I can afford the downmods, but you only have so many mod points.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  20. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What should he have done? nuke it?
     

  21. Re: Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Forget the emails, I wanna know why Hillary sold 20% of our uranium supply to Russia.

  22. Re:Stick to tech news by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

    Nice generalities, sounds scary. Now talk about the exposure risk for this particular event and the trace amounts detected.

  23. in your heart, you know it's true by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Russians are vodka-addled incompetents.
    The USA should step in for the good of Humanity and install responsible adults to replace their current "government".

    1. Re:in your heart, you know it's true by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

      The USA should step in for the good of Humanity and install responsible adults to replace their current "government".

      I can't tell if you're being serious or funny.

    2. Re: in your heart, you know it's true by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      Russians are vodka-addled incompetents.

      Especially their rocket scientists, aircraft engineers and weapons designers.

    3. Re:in your heart, you know it's true by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the GP has a good point, however before they can do that, the US needs to get some responsible adults and install them to replace their own current "government", though their IS a school of thought that they are actually the same government one being a puppet of the other...

  24. Re:Stick to tech news by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    Nice generalities, sounds scary. Now talk about the exposure risk for this particular event and the trace amounts detected.

    That's a good question. Since Russia has been downplaying the danger instead of studying it and reporting on it faithfully like a good world citizen, we don't actually know how much material was released. Compare Tepco literally lying every time they make a statement about radiation release. We have had to revise the estimates of the danger from the Fukushima event over and over (and over and over) again because literally everything they have said has been a lie. That's exactly the same as how Russia operates.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  25. Re:Stick to tech news by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

    But we know that the levels detected were very low, and therefore the release was very small. That has been clearly reported. You can ignore if you like.

    There has been no revision of Fukushima health impacts estimates. The estimate was carefully performed and well documented using the same methodology as after Chernobyl, where we found the actual health impacts much lower than estimated. There are extremely small radiological health risks from Fukushima.

  26. Re: Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's a weird question. I assume because they were willing to pay for it.

    Selling uranium to Russia does not increase Russia's ability to kill us all. They have gobs and gobs of uranium if they wanted to use it to kill people. If they want to use it to generate energy, then they buy some.

  27. Ok in a decade by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    986 times the background level
    half-life of Ru-106 is 374 days

    The half life is about a year and halving the radiation 10 times should get it back below background.
    Not good, but could be much worse.

  28. Re: Stick to tech news by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    And the fact that Western Europe has been reporting this for two weeks, still means that the issue is American media. Huh? U idiots are not very bright. Either Russia has an interesting project going on that just failed spectacularly, or some old Soviet facility collapsed on itself and released some interesting radioactive particles.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  29. Re: Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Capitalism. I bet there was a good chunk of money in it for all involved.

  30. Russia detects by atisss · · Score: 1

    After it's been detected by France and Germany months ago (while denied by Russia), now Russia is able to detect

  31. From West to East by Thor+Ablestar · · Score: 1

    Here in Siberia the winds blow mostly from West to East. For instance, if we want to know the weather for tomorrow we listen about current weather in some city some 1000 km in the West (Sorry, my exact location is classified).

    So if you see a big spot of Ruthenium in South-West Siberia and North Kazakhstan then it's source is somewhere between Russia and the EU.

  32. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Did you miss the part about being absorbed into bones like Strontium 90? Did you miss the parts about cancer-causing for centuries? Also the bit about the largest source in the environment being from decades old weapons tests didn't tip you off at all?

    If you had read TFA you'd have found RU-106 has a half life of just over a year, so this element won't be "cancer causing for centuries".

    Also from TFA it's most likely from a reprocessing plant not a nuclear test, indicated by the lack of other nucleotides, and the amounts detected are only just above background anyway (in sieverts) due to the high sensitivity of the tests.

  33. Relax, is was probably just ISIS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Relax, population. We can't be considered being unable to protect you, so we say nothing when a random ISIS guy finds an old barrel with exiting markings on it and sets it off with a small improvised explosive, hoping to create a dirty bomb."

  34. Re:Stick to tech news by c6gunner · · Score: 1

    Oh my! That sounds almost as dangerous as Dihydrogen Monoxide!

    Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.
    For more detailed information, including precautions, disposal procedures and storage requirements, refer to one of the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available for DHMO:

    Kemp Compliance & Safety MSDS for DHMO
    Chem-Safe, Inc. MSDS for Dihydrogen Monoxide
    Applied Petrochemical Research MSDS for Hydric Acid
    Original DHMO.org Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Dihydrogen Monoxide (html)

    http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

  35. irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course the irony is that the most precious of all snowflakes is in the white house.

  36. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    usa legacy media now sees russia everywhere excuse/explanation is needed.

    Did you sell your account to russian trolls, or have you always been a russian troll? That's a pretty low UID.

    Did you sell yours to NSA?

  37. Re: Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, communism failed them, so now they're going to try capitalism again.

  38. Re:Stick to tech news by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Just know this: Chernnbyl happened, and O'Bama stood by and did nothing.

    Forget that, what about the emails?!1!?1?1?!!/1/11?1?!!?

    I am chastened and embarrassed for my forgetfulness! Thanks for setting my straight. ;^)

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  39. Re: Stick to tech news by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Forget the emails, I wanna know why Hillary sold 20% of our uranium supply to Russia.

    This was in return for Russia selling the Democrats a lifetime supply of Krokodil, when OBams and Hillary personally use to kill the little kisd they were pimping out in Pizzagate. After the Children reach puberty, and are no longer interesting to liberals, a big dose of Krokodil sends them painfully packing and leaving this earth.

    Before this, Democrats were limited to taking the children and fetuses up in jets, and dumping them overboard. Those Chemtrails? That's those children and babies. Use a Telescope, iand it all becomes clear. Millions of babies in little Democrat donkey suits.

    Verified by Fox News.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  40. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    retard

  41. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You know half life just decreases radioactive quantity over time, right? A humongous amount can still be a substantial danger decades later.

  42. Re: Stick to tech news by Xest · · Score: 1

    This made me chuckle at first, but I'm now more concerned it's going to end up on Breitbart as breaking news.

  43. Re: Stick to tech news by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    This made me chuckle at first, but I'm now more concerned it's going to end up on Breitbart as breaking news.

    Then my job here is done....

    It's a funny world, with all different manner of thought processes. Some of which are from people who will refuse to believe rational truths, but will believe any half baked contrary idea.

    The latest foolishness is that there was some hippie stagehand accidentally caught in a helmet reflection during an Apollo 17 visit to the moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    If this was an accident, it was an interesting one, because the helmet shield is reflective and spherical in shape, and that means that the person taking the photo will always be in the image. when taken from a front angle. So it could not have been an accident. The so-called hippie took the photo.

    We can enlarge the helmet reflections in any of the photos, and there the photo taker is. When we have to enlarge it a lot, the fuzzy indistnct reflection might look like just about anything. I have one that looks like the other astronaut is dancing at a ho-down.

    When in fact, all of the technology was in place to successfully take humans to the moon and bring them back safely. The orbital mechanics was proven, the computing devices were working, and the suits worked, the containment structures worked, and the Saturn 5 monster worked very well.

    Seems a shame to have all of those nice toys just for Stanley Kubrick to make a fake documentary in the desert.

    By the way If a stagehand got in the way of a photo, Kubrick would have noticed and the image would have never been used.

    But as I've already said, there are a lot of sad people arguing out of personal incredulity - where the inability to understand how something could have happened means it didn't.

    That's why we have shows like "Ancient Aliens", and that's why I reserve to right to ridicule them when ever I get a chance.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  44. Re:Stick to tech news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No you know the Russian Liam’s and the area sampled measures only, the mechanism and the total amount and its state are all unknowns.