Ukraine’s government faced growing opposition to its plan to purchase Russian-made mothballed nuclear reactors from Bulgaria, as reported by Politico. The $600 million scheme aims to bring two new units online at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant in Western Ukraine to shore up the country’s energy grid, which has been severely damaged by Russian attacks.
Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko defended the plan, stating,
“Against Russian attacks, nuclear energy [accounts for] 60% of our energy mix and is a backbone of our energy system,” the minister told Politico.
He emphasized that expanding nuclear power is the only option for the beleaguered energy grid.
However, several lawmakers, including some from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s own party, have raised concerns about potential corruption and the effectiveness of the aging equipment. According to Politico, MP Andrii Zhupanyn, from Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party and a member of the parliament’s energy committee, questioned,
“Can we afford to be buying Russian nuclear reactors during the full-scale invasion? And what is the condition of these reactors?”
The controversy comes amid recent corruption allegations in Ukraine’s energy sector. Earlier in the week, Deputy Energy Minister Oleksandr Kheil was arrested over allegations of soliciting a bribe in exchange for transferring coal mining equipment.
Critics argue that the nuclear reactor purchase could become another avenue for corruption. Yaroslav Zheleznyak, an MP from Ukraine’s liberal Holos party, expressed concerns about the procurement process, stating,
“We are concerned about corruption in this procurement process and we have not received any explanations,” he told Politico.
Environmental NGO Ekodiya has also raised concerns about the proposals, arguing that the project would rely on “obsolete Russian-made equipment” and could lead to safety and efficiency problems.
Related:
- Bulgarian President admits blocking appointment of pro-western ambassador to Kyiv
- Radiation monitoring station destroyed near Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, IAEA says
- Bulgarian Orthodox Church elects pro-Kremlin Metropolitan Daniil as new Patriarch
- Zelenskyy tells EU Russia has almost entirely destroyed Ukraine’s thermal power capacity, asks for air defense help
- Ukraine and Slovakia strengthen cooperation in energy sector, including nuclear
