The US has sensitive nuclear technology V nuclear power plant in Ukraine and they warn Russia not to touch itaccording to a letter sent by the US Department of Energy to Russia’s state nuclear power firm Rosatom last month.
In a letter reviewed by CNN and dated March 17, 2023, the Director of the Office of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy at the Ministry of Energy, Andrea Ferkile, told Rosatom’s director general that The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant at Enerhodar “contains nuclear technical equipment and data of US origin that is controlled by the United States Government.”
Goods, software, and technology are subject to US export controls when they are likely to be used in a manner that undermines US national security interests.
The letter from the Energy Ministry comes as Russian forces continue to control the plant, which is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and is located in part of the Zaporozhye region, which Russia occupied after it invaded Ukraine last February. The plant is often disconnected from Ukraine’s electricity grid due to intense Russian shelling in the area, raising fears across Europe of a nuclear accident.
While the plant is still physically operated by Ukrainian personnel, Rosatom manages it. The Ministry of Energy warned Rosatom in the letter that it is “illegal” for Russian citizens or legal entities to handle American technology.
“It is illegal under United States law for unauthorized persons, including but not limited to Russian citizens and Russian legal entities,” the letter said, “such as Rosatom and its subsidiaries, to knowingly and intentionally access, possess, control, export, store, seize, review, re-export, send, transfer, copy, manipulate such technology or technical data, or direct or authorize others to do the same, without such Russian entities becoming authorized recipients of the US Department of Energy Secretary.”
It is not clear whether Rosatom has responded to the letter. The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration said in a statement to CNN that the letter was authentic.
The letters were first reported by Russian news bulletin RBC.
“The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration can confirm that the letter is legitimate,” said Shayela Hassan, deputy director of public affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration.
She added: “The Secretary of Energy has statutory responsibility for authorizing the transfer of unclassified civilian nuclear technology and assistance to foreign nuclear energy activities. DOE does not comment on regulatory activities.”
Another letter from Ferkile to the Energy Department’s inspector general, reviewed by CNN and dated Oct. 24, 2022, outlines the technology the U.S. has exported to Ukraine for use at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant and reiterates that there is “no evidence of any and have a current authorization to transfer this technology and technical data to a Russian citizen or legal entity”.
The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy publicly announced US support for the plant and stated on its website in June 2021 that “The United States helped implement new maintenance and operations procedures at the reactorwhich should ultimately enhance energy security” in Ukraine.
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Assessment 2.3 from 11 voice.
