Construction sites. Rosatom has completed the construction of the first power unit at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Türkiye, as confirmed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev during a visit to the site. Over the next few weeks, the reactor will undergo cold and hot functional tests. During the cold phase, engineers will conduct hydrostatic tests to verify the tightness and strength of the reactor plant components, perform circulation flushing of the primary and secondary circuits, adjust the water chemistry, and verify that all parameters of the reactor and primary circuit equipment meet design specifications. The hot phase will validate the reliability of the reactor systems and equipment under simulated operating conditions. “We are literally just a few weeks away from the start of commissioning operations. Once all the work is done, an inspection will follow, with any necessary adjustments made during the final stage. This inspiring moment is akin to the final 100-meter dash of a 42-kilometer marathon,” Alexey Likhachev said. The Akkuyu NPP will comprise four power units equipped with Russian-designed Generation III+ VVER reactors.

Education. The Obninsk NEW 2026 international youth forum, which focused on personnel training for the global nuclear energy industry, has concluded in the Russian science city of Obninsk. The forum brought together over 700 participants from 85 countries and high-level delegations from 10 nations, along with thousands of students who joined online. It served as the centerpiece of an educational marathon for young professionals from around the world. During the forum, the first stage of a joint Rosatom-IAEA educational program on human resources development was launched for newcomer countries. The forum also featured the Obninsk Tech Summer University and inVisible Power Leadership Camp. On the sidelines, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev met with the Impact Team 2050 international youth advisory council, comprising 13 young leaders from 13 countries. “Today, the global development of nuclear energy demands not only cutting-edge technologies but also a robust international system for personnel training. It is exactly this kind of ecosystem — open, modern, and future-oriented — that we are building in Russia’s first science city, Obninsk,” Alexey Likhachev noted.

Collaboration. The Rosatom Technical Academy and the Atomic Energy Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan (Uzatom) have signed an agreement on cooperation in nuclear medicine and related areas. The agreement establishes a framework for the comprehensive development of the national nuclear medicine infrastructure in Uzbekistan, including the training and upskilling of specialized personnel and the systematic exchange of scientific and technical information between the parties. The educational programs will take into account the national contexts of both countries and will draw on best practices in the production of medical isotopes, radionuclide diagnostics and therapy, the clinical application of radiopharmaceuticals, and radiation safety. Uzatom Director Azim Akhmedkhadjaev emphasized that developing nuclear medicine is a priority for Uzbekistan’s healthcare system and recalled that work on drafting a national strategy for nuclear medicine development has been underway in partnership with Rosatom since February of this year. According to Academy Rector Yuri Seleznev, the Rosatom Technical Academy is ready to provide its educational and scientific resources to train professionals capable of working with advanced technologies at a world-class level.