Politico: Ukraine's plan to buy Russian-made nuclear reactors sparks protests

Ukraine's government is battling growing opposition to a multi-million dollar scheme to buy mothballed nuclear reactors and faces accusations of aiding corruption as Ukraine tries to clean up its energy sector.

The government wants to open two new units at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant in western Ukraine, arguing that they will help shore up the country's battered energy grid. The quickest and most efficient way is to buy Russian-made reactors, currently stored in a warehouse in Bulgaria and valued at $600 million.

But the deal must be signed off by lawmakers, and several lawmakers, including at least one from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, say it could blow a huge hole in the country’s budget. These outdated technologies may not help Ukrainians avoid looming power outages.

The issue came to the fore on Tuesday morning when government officials met with members of parliament. The government acknowledged that it currently lacks the necessary support amid vexing doubts. But Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, who is pushing the plan, dismissed concerns, saying that expanding nuclear power is the only way to keep the beleaguered grid running. And two VVER-1000 reactors are the fastest and cheapest option available.

“Despite Russian attacks, nuclear energy [составляет] “60 percent of our energy balance is the basis of our energy system,” he said in comments for POLITICO. “Development and addition of new units to the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant is a priority for the government of Ukraine.”

The dispute has created another source of friction as Ukraine tries to crack down on corruption in the energy sector. Earlier this week, Galushenko's deputy minister, Oleksandr Khil, was arrested on charges that he solicited a half-million-dollar bribe in exchange for the transfer of coal mining equipment belonging to a state enterprise.

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