Abstract
Nuclear security research treats states as the primary managers of nuclear and radiological risk, with non-state actors as key challengers. This overlooks de facto states - separatist polities that exercise territorial authority without broad recognition. We argue that de facto states create zones of authority without recognised responsibility, weakening regulatory control while remaining partially excluded from global nuclear-security governance. Consequently, they undermine nuclear security through regulatory rupture, expanded illicit opportunities, coercive threats and use of force, and governance exclusion. We test these claims using cross-national event data and a case study of Russian-backed separatist regions in Ukraine.
Panel: Politics at the Intersection of Climate, Industrialization and Security