DefenceTalkGermany said Monday it would keep two nuclear plants on standby beyond the end of the year in a policy U-turn, as the shut-off of Russian gas supplies sends Europe scrambling for energy sources. Following a new network stress test, two of the three remaining power plants would “remain available until mid-April 2023 in case […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-puts-two-nuclear-plants-on-standby-in-energy-u-turn-79341/

DefenceTalkIranian authorities have introduced defence systems in 51 cities to counter “biological, radiological and chemical threats”, deputy defence minister Mehdi Farahi has announced. The defence ministry has “provided 51 cities in the country with the necessary installations and equipment for passive defence”, Farahi was cited as saying on Saturday by Iribnews, the state broadcaster’s website. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-announces-defence-system-against-chemical-biological-threats-79317/

DefenceTalkUkrainian forces pressed their counter-offensive to retake the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson, while a team of UN experts were en route to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant which was targeted by fresh shelling over the weekend. The coastal region of Kherson and its capital city of the same name have been contested by Russian […]https://www.defencetalk.com/ukraine-launches-offensive-in-south-iaea-team-head-to-nuclear-plant-79266/

DefenceTalkJapan’s prime minister on Wednesday called for a push to revive the country’s nuclear power industry in a bid to tackle soaring imported energy costs linked to the war in Ukraine. Such a move could prove controversial, after the 2011 Fukushima disaster led to the suspension of many nuclear reactors over safety fears. Like many […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-eyes-nuclear-power-push-to-combat-energy-crunch-79242/

DefenceTalkThe European Union said Tuesday it was studying Iran’s response to a “final” draft agreement on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord with major powers it presented at talks in Vienna. The United States had already said Monday that it was informing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of its response to the text he submitted […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eu-says-mulling-iran-response-to-final-nuclear-text-79206/

DefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country was “ready to mobilize” its nuclear deterrent in any future military clash with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday. Washington and Seoul have repeatedly warned that Pyongyang is preparing to carry out its seventh nuclear test — a move that the United […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-says-ready-to-mobilize-nuclear-weapons-79147/

DefenceTalkIran has the technical capacity to build a nuclear weapon but has not taken a decision to do so, an official told the Al Jazeera broadcaster on Sunday. Iran “has the technical ability to build a nuclear bomb” said Kamal Kharrazi, who heads an advisory board linked to Iran’s leadership. But Tehran has “not made […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-has-technical-ability-to-build-nuclear-bomb-official-79094/

DefenceTalkGermany should extend the lifetime of its nuclear plants to avoid an “extreme scenario” in which a Russian gas stop could wipe 12 percent off the economy, a government advisor said Thursday. Prolonging the operational lifetime of Germany’s remaining reactors could “create some breathing space”, Veronika Grimm, a member of the government’s council of economic […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-gas-threat-revives-german-nuclear-power-debate-79019/

DefenceTalkThe number of nuclear weapons in the world is set to rise in the coming decade after 35 years of decline as global tensions flare amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, researchers said Monday. The nine nuclear powers — Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, the United States and Russia — had 12,705 nuclear […]https://www.defencetalk.com/world-headed-for-new-era-of-nuclear-rearmament-sipri-78955/

DefenceTalkNorth Korea has trialled a “nuclear detonation device”, a senior South Korean presidential official said Wednesday, adding that a nuclear test could be imminent. US and South Korean officials have warned for weeks that Pyongyang may conduct a seventh nuclear test, and on Wednesday it test-fired three missiles, including possibly its largest intercontinental ballistic missile […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-testing-nuclear-detonation-device-seoul-78826/