Nationalists Blew Up Institute Building in Kharkov to Hide Nuclear Research, Russian MoD Says - Sputnik International

Ukrainian nationalists blew up one of the buildings belonging to the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology in order to conceal evidence of the nuclear research conducted there, the head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre, Mikhail Mizintsev, has stated.

"Up to 50 employees of the institute could be trapped under the rubble", he added.

The Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology was the first institution in the USSR to carry out nuclear fission. In 1948, it became the base of education of Soviet nuclear physicists and worked on the USSR's project to build its first nuke. The institute later focused on researching nuclear energy and nuclear reactor construction.

While Ukraine agreed to export all of its highly enriched Uranium to Russia back in 2010, the country received shipments of low enriched uranium from the US as compensation.