Tito's uranium hoard to be made safe in Russia

A stash of weapons-grade uranium that American officials feared might find its way into terrorist hands has been moved from Belgrade to a more secure site in Russia where it will be made safe.

The 100lb (45kg) of uranium – enough to make three nuclear bombs – was moved from the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences in Belgrade last Thursday with an escort of Yugoslav army helicopters and 1,200 heavily armed troops.

The 6,000 slugs of enriched uranium were flown to Russia to be converted into a form that cannot be used in weapons.

The decaying, civilian-run Vinca reactor topped a US list of vulnerable targets: the uranium slugs were stored in their original metal shipping crates and guarded by lightly armed security officers. Forty years ago, the reactor was reportedly central to plans by Marshal Tito, the late Yugoslav dictator, to build nuclear weapons.