CIA Analyst Uncovers Soviet Plants

In 1958, Charles V. Reeves, a CIA analyst, deduced the locations and power consumption of Soviet nuclear enrichment plants by analyzing a censored cover of a magazine. He examined a photograph from the July issue of the Soviet magazine Ogonëk, which depicted the Sverdlovsk Central Despatching Office. By comparing the image to his experience with Boston Edison Company control stations and cross-referencing Soviet technical publications, Reeves identified key elements of the Urals' electric power network, leading to precise estimates of power usage at major Soviet atomic facilities.

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