Radioactive water leaked from a military base into the sea in Great Britain – The Guardian

A leak of water contaminated with radioactive materials has occurred in the UK, from a military base where nuclear warheads for four Royal Navy submarines are stored. This was reported reports The Guardian, citing findings from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

According to the documents, the release of "unnecessary radioactive waste" in the form of low levels of tritium, which is used in nuclear warheads, occurred due to "deficiencies in technical maintenance."

The regulator believes that the radioactive material entered Loch Long near Glasgow in western Scotland, and from there into the sea, because the Royal Navy was unable to properly maintain the network of 1,500 water pipes at the base.

In recent years, the base has experienced a series of pipe failures, accompanied by leaks of contaminated water.

A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence told the publication that the ministry attaches "the highest importance to its responsibilities regarding the safe and reliable handling of radioactive materials" and assured that "at no stage were there any hazardous releases of radioactive materials into the environment".

• On June 3, it was reported that Great Britain wants to strengthen its role in NATO's nuclear deterrence system amidst threats from Russia and uncertainty from the US. London is exploring the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons on fighter jets as part of expanding its contribution to the alliance's nuclear deterrent.