Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant CIA Files - Paperless Archives

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services to others and to export nuclear power stations. We have no
reason to believe that for the foreseeable future they will lack the
capacity to meet their domestic needs, both military and civil, and
to continue their international activities.
Testing
C. The Soviets have continued to test nuclear devices underground
during the past two years, at about the pace characteristic of the previous
six years. They have apparently been willing to take greater
risks than the US of venting debris to the atmosphere which might
be detected beyond their borders. In 1969 and 1970, the percentage
of tests producing debris that carried beyond the borders of the USSR
increased over any previous two year period. This could suggest that
the Soviets have recently given a higher priority to test objectives than
to concerns over possible venting.
D. There is no reason to believe that the Soviets intend to resume
nuclear testing in the atmosphere. We believe that the Soviets plan
to test underground for at least the next two years. Should the Soviets
decide to resume atmospheric testing, intelligence sources would provide
little, if any, advance warning.
Weapons
E.[
JWe have a fair degree of confidence in our estimates of the
general characteristics and performance of the nuclear weapons developed
during this period, but almost no information on the actual
size and composition of the Soviet stockpile of such weapons( _
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