Oleg Khinsagov
Oleg Khinsagov (Russian: Олег Хинсагов) is a Russian citizen from Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia–Alania.[1] On January 25, 2007 he was sentenced by a Georgian court for 8.5 years for smuggling 100 grams of highly enriched uranium.[2]
According to the Georgian authorities, in January 2006, Khinsagov together with a few Georgian citizens from the separatist region of South Ossetia was trying to sell 100 grams of highly enriched uranium. He claimed that the material is only a sample and he has more than 3 kilograms of the substance in his Vladikavkaz garage. Georgian police arranged meeting of Khinsagov with their Turkish-speaking agent introduced as a representative of a rich Muslim organization willing to buy the sample for $1 million US. At the meeting held on February 1, 2006 Khinsagov was arrested with 100 grams of a substance in two plastic pouches.[1] The chemical analysis performed by an American Department of Energy Lab confirmed the substance been a U-235 purity of 89.451 percent enriched Uranium that makes it a Weapons-grade material.[1]
The Georgian side accused Russian investigators in the lack of cooperation with the investigation.[1] According to Shota Utiashvili, the head of the Georgian Interior Ministry's analytical department: "We received the test results from Russian specialists. They confirmed that the substance was high-enriched uranium, but did not say anything about its origin.".[3] According to Rosatom the Georgian side did not provided enough material to pinpoint its origin,[4] still the FSB report provided for the Georgian investigators confirmed the substance been the highly enriched uranium and indicated it was processed more than ten years ago.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Smuggler’s Plot Highlights Fear Over Uranium by L.S. Sheets and W.J. Broad The New York Times January 25, 2007
- ↑ Georgia says it foiled sale of bomb-grade uranium Reuters 25 January 2007
- ↑ Russian gets eight years in Georgian prison for uranium sale RIA Novosti
- ↑ Nuclear Ossetia Gazeta.ru (Russian)
Sources
- A Smuggler’s Story by Lawrence Scott Sheets: Atlantic Monthly, April 2008.
