The US Department of Energy has sent a letter to Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom, warning them not to touch sensitive nuclear technology that is located at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine, according to a letter reviewed by CNN. The letter, dated March 17, 2023, was sent by Andrea Ferkile, the director of the Energy Department’s Office of Nonproliferation Policy, and states that the plant contains US-origin nuclear technical data that is export-controlled by the United States Government.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power station in Europe and is currently under the control of Russian forces, as it is located in a part of the Zaporizhzhia region that Russia occupied after its invasion of Ukraine in February last year. The plant has been frequently disconnected from Ukraine’s power grid due to intense Russian shelling in the area, raising concerns of a potential nuclear accident in Europe.
While the plant is still operated by Ukrainian staff, Rosatom manages it. The Energy Department’s letter warns Rosatom that it is “unlawful” for any Russian citizens or entities to handle the US technology without authorization. The letter states that it is against US law for non-authorized persons, including Rosatom and its subsidiaries, to access, possess, control, export, store, seize, review, re-export, ship, transfer, copy, manipulate, or authorize others to do the same with the US technology without becoming authorized recipients by the Secretary of the US Department of Energy.
CNN has reached out to Rosatom for comment, but no response has been reported yet. The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration has confirmed the authenticity of the letter, according to Shayela Hassan, the deputy director of public affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
In another letter from Ferkile to the Energy Department’s Inspector General, dated October 24, 2022, and reviewed by CNN, the technology that the US has exported to Ukraine for use in the Zaporizhzhia plant is outlined, and it is reiterated that the department has “no record of any current authorization to transfer this technology and technical data to any Russian national or entity.”
The US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has previously publicly stated its support for the Zaporizhzhia plant, noting on its website in June 2021 that “the United States helped implement new maintenance procedures and operations at the reactor that should ultimately strengthen energy security” in Ukraine. The situation continues to evolve, and the US is closely monitoring the situation to protect its sensitive nuclear technology and prevent any unauthorized access or use by Russian entities.
