Russia's state-run civilian nuclear power corporation Rosatom will by late 2010 dismantle 191 out of 198 nuclear submarines decommissioned from the Russian Navy, a company executive said on Tuesday according to RIA Novosti.
"As of today, 198 nuclear submarines have been decommissioned from the Navy. The disposal of about 25 submarines is not yet over; many of them are in the process of disposal. By the end of 2010, 191 nuclear submarines will have been dismantled," said Yevgeny Yevstratov, Rosatom deputy general director.
Russia has signed cooperation agreements on the disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines with the United States, Britain, Canada, Japan, Italy and Norway.
During the dismantlement, spent nuclear fuel is removed from the submarine's reactors and sent into storage, the hull is cut into three sections, and the bow and stern sections are removed and destroyed. The reactor section is sealed and transferred into storage.