Media: Ukraine secretly extended the contract for nuclear fuel supplies from Russia
Despite the political decision to terminate the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership with Russia, Ukraine has extended until 2025 its contract for nuclear fuel supplies to most Ukrainian nuclear power plants, reported Zerkalo Nedeli.
The newspaper reports, that “the extension of the contract, and also some other actions of the Ukrainian government regarding nuclear energy in the past six months… can strengthen, if not perpetuate, the domination of the aggressor-country in this strategic industry, which accounts for 55-60% of Ukraine’s energy supply, and significantly reduce the energy security of Ukraine for a long time.”
“The Head of Energoatom, the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine, Yuriy Nedashkovsky concluded his letter to Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman sent on August 17 by stating that “an additional agreement on top of the existing contract with the Russian company can cause negative public reaction,” and expressed his opinion that the issue should be reviewed at the closed inter-ministry meeting chaired by the Prime Minister,” the newspaper stated.
The agreement with Russians signed by Energoatom gives TVEL, a Russian nuclear fuel producer, a dominant position in the Ukrainian market until 2025. TVEL will service 8 out of 15 power plants. This will account for 60% of fuel supplies for nuclear reactors, while the American Westinghouse will provide the other 40%, having contractual obligations to provide Ukraine with fuel if Russia stops the supplies.