MOSCOW. Aug 12 (Interfax) - The Finnish embassy in Russia has not received any official information following the explosion that occurred on the Russian Defense Ministry's firing range in the Arkhangelsk region during a test of a missile with a radioisotope power source unit, the embassy told Interfax.
"No, we have not received it," the diplomatic mission said on Monday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on August 8 that two people had been killed and six had been injured as a result of an explosion during tests of a rocket propulsion unit at a military testing range in the Arkhangelsk region. There were no emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere and the radiation levels are normal, the ministry said.
"The tragedy happened during work associated with the engineering and technical support of isotope engine power supply units," Rosatom said on Saturday.
Sources told Interfax that the incident happened in the Nenoksa administrative district, at the Russian Navy's central naval testing range (Sopka). Nenoksa is located 40 kilometers from Severodvinsk.
Rosatom said earlier on Saturday that its five employees were killed and three injured in the tragedy.
Two Russian Defense Ministry officials were also killed. As reported, another three servicemen were injured.
The people injured in the explosion at the range in the Arkhangelsk region were transported to Moscow, the press service for the regional government said on Friday.
The Dvinsky Bay of the White Sea, where the explosion happened on Thursday, will be closed for navigation for a month, Arkhangelsk Seaport Deputy Captain Sergei Kozub told Interfax on August 8.
The Severodvinsk authorities said on August 8 that radiation levels had risen for a short period of time. According to the city administration press service, "radiation levels grew to two microsievert per hour in the city" between 11:50 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. on August 8. Levels higher than 0.6 microsievert are the emergency response norm.
Arkhangelsk Region Governor Igor Orlov told Interfax on Thursday evening that radiation levels did not grow in the region after the explosion at the military testing range. "Environmental measurements confirm natural levels. There are no deviations. This is proven by all services, and all controlling systems," he said.
The authorities said on Friday and Saturday that the radiation levels in the Arkhangelsk region were within the normal range.
Radioisotope power source units are devices using power released during radiation decomposition, for heating heat transfer agents or for transforming it into electrical power.
Isotope power source units are used in spacecraft, beacons, and in medicine. Studies are being conducted to use these power source units in drones, hydroacoustic stations, robotic systems, laser facilities, and other spheres.