According to the fuel company of Rosatom, fuel was shipped to the VVR-SM research reactor of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.

The Russian company sent 56 six-pipe fuel assemblies IRT-4M, produced by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, to Uzbekistan.

TVEL and INP signed an agreement on the supply of nuclear fuel for the VVR-SM reactor in November 2017.

The VVR-SM reactor is used for research in nuclear physics, radiation materials science, activation analysis, irradiation of minerals, and in production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes. The installation was consistently provided with nuclear fuel of Russian production until 2015.

After a short pause, connected with the reorganization of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan and determination of further prospects of reactor operation, the Uzbek side and TVEL resumed cooperation in the field of fuel assembly supplies in 2017.