U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced the "successful removal of 72.8 kg of HEU spent fuel from the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Tashkent, Uzbekistan." The fuel was transported to Russia by air. NNSA reported that it was the seventh shipment since 2006. After this shipment, no HEU remained at the Institute of Nuclear Physics.

The reactor in question is the VVR-SM reactor that has been converted to 36% HEU fuel in 1999 and to LEU fuel in 2009. Earlier reports indicated that the current shipment included 2 C-36 and 108 IRT-3M (36%) assemblies.

UPDATE: The shipment took place on 14 August 2012. The spent fuel assemblies were flown from Tashkent airport to Koltsovo (Ekaterinburg) in TUK-19 containers.