Operation Fakel
| Operation Fakel | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Test site | Near Krestyshche, Krasnohrad Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine) |
| Coordinates | 49°28′47″N 35°29′41″E / 49.47972°N 35.49472°E |
| Date | 07:00 UTC July 9, 1972 |
| Test type | Underground (peaceful nuclear explosion) to seal/extinguish a gas well blowout |
| Max. yield | 3.8 kt TNT equivalent |
| Outcome: reported failure to stop blowout (required months of conventional mitigation) | |
Operation Fakel (Russian: Операция «Факел» (Operation "Torch")) was a Soviet peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE) conducted in 1972 in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. It was part of the Soviet program Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy and was intended to seal a runaway gas well blowout near the village of Krestyshche in Kharkiv Oblast by collapsing surrounding rock strata at depth. The attempt was unsuccessful and the blowout was capped by conventional methods.