The US has delicate nuclear expertise at a nuclear energy plant inside Ukraine, and is warning Russia to not contact it, in accordance with a letter the US Division of Power despatched to Russia’s state-owned nuclear vitality agency Rosatom final month.
Within the letter, which was reviewed by CNN and is dated March 17, 2023, the director of the Power Division’s Workplace of Nonproliferation Coverage, Andrea Ferkile, tells Rosatom’s director common that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Energy Plant in Enerhodar, Ukraine “incorporates US-origin nuclear technical information that’s export-controlled by the USA Authorities.”
Items, software program and expertise are topic to US export controls when it’s potential for them for use in a approach that undermines US nationwide safety pursuits.
The Power Division letter comes as Russian forces proceed to manage the plant, which is the biggest nuclear energy station in Europe and sits in part of the Zaporizhzhia area that Russia occupied after its invasion of Ukraine final February. The plant has incessantly been disconnected from Ukraine’s energy grid on account of intense Russian shelling within the space, elevating fears throughout Europe of a nuclear accident.
Whereas the plant continues to be bodily operated by Ukrainian employees, Rosatom manages it. The Power Division warned Rosatom within the letter that it’s “illegal” for any Russian residents or entities to deal with the US expertise.
CNN has reached out to Rosatom for remark.
It isn’t clear whether or not Rosatom has responded to the letter. The Power Division’s Nationwide Nuclear Safety Administration advised CNN in a press release that the letter is genuine.
The letters have been first reported by the information outlet RBC Ukraine.
“The Division of Power’s Nationwide Nuclear Safety Administration can affirm that the letter is authentic,” mentioned Shayela Hassan, the deputy director of public affairs for the Nationwide Nuclear Safety Administration.
She added, “The Secretary of Power has the statutory accountability for authorizing the switch of unclassified civilian nuclear expertise and help to international atomic vitality actions. DOE doesn’t touch upon regulatory actions.”
One other letter from Ferkile to the Power Division’s Inspector Normal, reviewed by CNN and dated October 24, 2022, outlines the expertise the US has exported to Ukraine to be used within the Zaporizhzhia plant and reiterates that the division has “no report of any present authorization to switch this expertise and technical information to any Russian nationwide or entity.”
The Power Division’s Workplace of Nuclear Power has been public in regards to the US’ help for the plant, and said on its web site in June 2021 that “the USA helped implement new upkeep procedures and operations on the reactor that ought to finally strengthen vitality safety” in Ukraine.
Correction: This submit incorrectly described the information outlet which first reported the letters. It was RBC Ukraine.