▁a ▁spent ▁fuel ▁treatment ▁facility ▁located ▁in ▁a ▁region ▁between ▁Vol ga ▁and ▁U ral . ▁A ▁possible ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁radio activity ▁at ▁May ak ▁PA ▁might ▁be ▁an ▁un success ful ▁attempt ▁to ▁produce ▁cer ium - 1 4 4 ▁for ▁the ▁European ▁scientific ▁project ▁B ore x ino . ▁May ak ▁PA ▁had ▁agreed ▁to ▁deliver ▁cer ium - 1 4 4 ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁but ▁can ce led ▁the ▁contract ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁May ak ▁PA ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁facility ▁capable ▁of ▁producing ▁cer ium - 1 4 4 ▁from ▁" f resh " ▁spent ▁nuclear ▁fuel ▁ 2 – 3 ▁years ▁old . ▁Usually ▁spent ▁fuel ▁is ▁not ▁processed ▁earlier ▁than ▁five ▁years ▁after ▁extra ction . ▁The ▁Ru 1 0 6 / R u 1 0 3 ▁ratio ▁in ▁analyz ed ▁environmental ▁samples ▁during ▁the ▁poll ution ▁spread ▁was ▁characteristic ▁of ▁" f resh " ▁spent ▁fuel . ▁While ▁the ▁non - Russ ian ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁committee ▁accepted ▁the ▁conclus ions ▁of ▁I RS N ' s ▁report , ▁the ▁Russian ▁members ▁maintain ▁that ▁an ▁ins pection ▁by ▁Rost e chn ad zor ▁of ▁the ▁May ak ▁PA ▁facility ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁showed ▁no ▁anom al ies ▁and ▁a ▁rare ▁meteor ological ▁event ▁may ▁have ▁transport ed ▁the ▁r uth enium - 1 0 6 ▁from ▁somewhere ▁else ▁to ▁the ▁apparent ▁region ▁of ▁origin . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0