Radioactive cloud strongly suggests hidden severe nuclear accident in West Siberia.

Both French and German nuclear surveyor institutions belatedly reported of a radioactive cloud over central-west Europe with apparent origin in West Siberia (Russia). The presence of ruthenium-106 strongly suggests a nuclear meltdown at some site, accident that has been hidden from the public. 

The radioactive cloud seems to have its peak over Sverdlovsk Oblast (Russia)

The cloud was detected between the September 29th and October 13th but has been reported to the public only now. 

As far as I can tell the most likely candidate for the accident is not the Mayak complex in Cheylabinsk Oblast, as suggested by the article linked above, but the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

Russia unveals huge sea nuclear dump

(CC by NormanEinstein)

A nuclear submarine (the K-27) with spent fuel in both reactors, 14 nuclear reactors, some of them with fuel, 19 ships containing radioactive waste, 17,000 containers full of radioactive waste, 735 other pieces of radioactively contaminated machinery. 

All that and maybe more was dumped in the Kara Sea, a subdivision of the Arctic Ocean bordering Nenets lands. The data has been revealed to Norwegian environmentalist NGO Bellona by Russian authorities in the last two years and now published by Norwegian media. 

Bellona has been tracking the case since 1992 and praised the openness of the Russian government. Meanwhile the Norwegian nuclear authorities suspect that this may not be all because Russia has been generally reluctant to reveal this massive environmental crime, revealing the data only gradually.

There is concern that the reactors of the K-27 could achieve recriticality but of course the greatest concern is radioactive contamination of the Arctic. 

Source: Bellona (via EneNews).

The forgotten nuclear disaster of Mayak (Siberia)

In 1957 there was a major nuclear accident in the nuclear facility of Mayak (Russia), accident which was kept secret for three decades. The victims were evacuated... to just 2 km away, they still suffer the consequences of the catastrophe: the baseline of health we take for granted being a mere dream for them. Being poor they can't emigrate without aid.

Al Jazeera has these days a report on this forgotten nuclear catastrophe, only third in severity after Fukushima and Chernobyl: