The 1994 U.S. operation to remove 1,300 pounds of nuclear material #shorts

Summary

Project Sapphire was a covert U.S. mission to secure highly enriched uranium (HEU) in Kazakhstan, involving 31 specialists from defense and energy departments who transported 450 nuclear cargo drums using three C-5 Galaxy cargo planes. The operation was conducted with utmost secrecy, preventing potential interception by Iranian or criminal groups during a risky nighttime transport on icy roads. The mission successfully moved the nuclear material to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and represented a critical nonproliferation effort during the post-Soviet era.