Project Sapphire was a successful 1994
covert operation of the
United States government in cooperation with the
Kazakhstan government to reduce the threat of
nuclear proliferation as part of the
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. A warehouse at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant outside
Ust-Kamenogorsk housed 1,322 lbs of weapons grade
enriched uranium to fuel
Alfa class submarines (90% U-235). Following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, the fuel was poorly documented and secured, and in danger of being sold for use in the construction of nuclear weapons.