Russia Detains U.S. Diplomats Traveling Near Site of Nuclear Accident

U.S. diplomats were caught near the Russian naval testing site on October 16. (Artist: Carolyn Ren)

Russian authorities briefly held three U.S. diplomats after it appeared that they were traveling to the site of a suspected nuclear accident on October 16, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reports. Authorities escorted the diplomats off of a train bound for the coastal Arctic town of Severodvinsk, home to a Russian naval testing site.

The diplomats had requested and received permission from the Russian government to visit Arkhangelsk, a city near Severodvinsk, according to Interfax. They then boarded a train toward Severodvinsk without government approval, prompting their removal from the train. 

The diplomats “were on official travel and had properly notified Russian authorities of their travel,” a State Department spokesperson told the New York Times, contradicting Russian assertions that the diplomats had only shared plans to visit Arkhangelsk.

The Severodvinsk Naval Testing Site has been heavily scrutinized over the past months. On August 8, background radiation tests in the Arctic detected high levels of radioactivity in the region. Two days later, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that a liquid fuel explosion on an off-shore platform had caused two fatalities, later revised to five, according to TASS, a Russian state-owned news agency. 

In later weeks, the Defense Ministry revised their statement, claiming that the explosion was the result of an experimental engine test. They claimed the radiation came from the use of isotopic power sources in conjunction with a liquid propulsion system, Defense News reports. 

Russia’s ambiguous explanation of the incident—including their refusal to directly address the radiation spike, which, according to RFE/RL, returned to normal levels within two hours of the incident—has led to widespread speculation about the true nature of the explosion. The Foreign Policy Research Institute explains that the covertness of the incident has provoked concern that the radiation may have resulted from a failed nuclear missile test.

The New York Times reports that U.S. intelligence officials suspect that the accident involved a cruise missile known as Skyfall, reputed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to be one of the most advanced of its kind. Reuters reports that an American investigation has confirmed that the explosion occurred during the recovery of a nuclear missile after a failed test. Other potential sources are an underwater nuclear drone called Poseidon and a seabound nuclear-powered battery, according to Defense News. 

Despite rising hostilities between Russia and the U.S., the New York Times reports that it is unlikely that Russia will take measures to deport the diplomats. The statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed bureaucratic displeasure at the unauthorized visit and chastised the diplomats; however, it stopped short of issuing an outright condemnation. 

“Apparently, they got lost,” the Russian Foreign Ministry told Interfax. “We are ready to present a map of the Russian Federation to the American embassy.”