Last enriched uranium rumbles out of Ukraine

A consignment of enriched uranium - enough to make a nuclear weapon, according to a U.S. expert - rumbled out of a Ukrainian railway depot late on Saturday bound forRussia, a move designed to coincide with an international summit on nuclear security.

The 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of spent highly enriched uranium, loaded in four containers onto rail carriers in a high-security operation, was the last such material to be removed from the ex-Soviet republic under a two-year programme with theUnited StatesandRussia.

The completion of the programme was timed to raise the curtain on a March 26-27 nuclear security summit inSeoul, South Korea, to be attended by leaders from 50 countries including U.S. PresidentBarack ObamaandUkraine'sViktor Yanukovich.

The summit will focus on measures to protect nuclear materials and facilities and to prevent illicit trafficking. Read More