Espionage Accelerated the Soviet Bomb

Gideon talks to the historian and author Serhii Plokhy about how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed our calculations about the risk of nuclear war. They discuss the history of the atom bomb from its first use in 1945 to the risk of a resurgence of proliferation. Clip: Harry S Truman Library

Free links to read more on this topic:

The Nuclear Age by Serhii Plokhy — why nations want the bomb

US offers nuclear energy companies access to weapons-grade plutonium

The covert trip by Iranian nuclear experts to Russia

The old nuclear rules won’t stop proliferation

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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