How to get on a Watchlist (S2, E8): How to steal a nuke

In this episode, we talk to Vitaly Fedchenko about the fascinating world of nuclear security. Vitaly Fedchenko is a Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme. He has worked at SIPRI since 2005 and has 20 years of experience in nuclear security research and nuclear security assistance program implementation. He received a Master’s degree in nuclear materials protection, control and accounting in 2002. Between 2005 and 2015 Vitaly consulted for and helped implement Swedish government’s nuclear security assistance programs. Vitaly has been focusing on a discipline contributing to nuclear security, called nuclear forensics, since 2006 and is a member of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). Since 2009, Vitaly has been a contributor to the work of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security in drafting regulatory documents on nuclear forensics and nuclear security, developing and delivering training courses on nuclear forensics, and contributing to advisory missions. Vitaly is an author of multiple publications on nuclear forensics, including the book The New Nuclear Forensics: Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2015).

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How to Steal a Nuke – How to get on a Watchlist

In this episode, we talk to Vitaly Fedchenko on nuclear security.Vitaly Fedchenko is a Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme. He has worked at SIPRI since 2005 and has 20 years of experience in nuclear security research and nuclear security assistance program implementation. He received a Master’s degree in nuclear materials protection, control and accounting in 2002. Between 2005 and 2015 Vitaly consulted for and helped implement Swedish government’s nuclear security assistance programs. Vitaly has been focusing on a discipline contributing to nuclear security, called nuclear forensics, since 2006 and is a member of the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). Since 2009 Vitaly has been a contributor to the work of the IAEA Division of Nuclear Security in drafting regulatory documents on nuclear forensics and nuclear security, developing and delivering training courses on nuclear forensics, and contributing to advisory missions. Vitaly is an author of multiple publications on nuclear forensics, including the book The New Nuclear Forensics: Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes (Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2015). Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EncyclopediaGeopolitica

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. Please also consider supporting our work via Patreon. While the topics we discuss here are often shrouded in secrecy and security classifications, we really hope you’ll tell your friends about us!

Books and media mentioned during the episode, and suggestions for further research on this topic:

• The New Nuclear Forensics: Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes (Vitaly Fedchenko)
• Nuclear Security During Armed Conflict: Lessons From Ukraine (Vitaly Fedchenko)
• Gadget (Nicolas Freeling)
• Atomic Peril: A Nuclear Forensics Thriller (Sidney Niemeyer)
• The Sum of All Fears (Movie)

Additional reading suggestions can be found on our 2024 geopolitical reading list.

Purchases made using the links in this article earn referrals for Encyclopedia Geopolitica. As an independent publication, our writers are volunteers from within the professional geopolitical intelligence community, and referrals like this support future articles.

The hosts:

Lewis Sage-Passant is a researcher in the field of intelligence and espionage, and a former British Military Intelligence Officer. Lewis holds a PhD from Loughborough University in intelligence studies, and is an adjunct professor in intelligence at Sciences Po Paris. He has extensive experience working and living in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions in a variety of geopolitical analysis and intelligence roles, supporting the energy industry, the financial sector, leading technology firms, and the pharmaceuticals sector. He has appeared in numerous media outlets, including the BBC, France24, CNBC, Harvard Business Review, The New Arab, El Mundo, GQ, and others, discussing intelligence, geopolitics, and security topics.

Simon Schofield is a Deputy Director of the Human Security Centre, where he researches a broad range of security issues from terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and human rights issues. He has served as a geopolitical consultant for numerous news outlets including the BBC, RTE, and the International Business Times.

The production team:

Producer: Edwin Tran

Additional credit goes to several unnamed members of the Encyclopedia Geopolitica team, as well as our colleagues in the intelligence and security community who helped to make this podcast possible

If you liked this episode, don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice. Please also consider supporting our work via Patreon. While the topics we discuss here are often shrouded in secrecy and security classifications, we really hope you’ll tell your friends about us!