A letter from the US Department of Energy highlights that sensitive nuclear technology resides at a nuclear power facility in Ukraine, urging Russia to refrain from interference.
The correspondence, reviewed by UJ and dated March 17, 2023, was authored by Andrea Ferkile, the director of the Energy Department’s Office of Nonproliferation Policy. It addresses the director general of Rosatom, indicating that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant houses US-origin nuclear technical data that is controlled for export by the US government.
Items, software, and technology are bound by US export controls if their use could threaten US national security interests.
This warning from the Energy Department coincides with Russian forces maintaining control over the Zaporizhzhia facility, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, located in an area of the Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February. Frequent disconnections from Ukraine’s power grid due to intense shelling have heightened nuclear safety concerns across Europe.
While Ukrainian personnel physically operate the plant, Rosatom oversees its management. The Energy Department’s letter cautioned Rosatom that it is “unlawful” for any Russian individuals or entities to engage with the US technology.
UJ has attempted to obtain comment from Rosatom.
It remains uncertain whether Rosatom has replied to the letter. The National Nuclear Security Administration of the Energy Department confirmed the authenticity of the communication to UJ.
The news outlet RBC Ukraine was the first to report about these letters.
Shayela Hassan, deputy director of public affairs for the National Nuclear Security Administration, stated, “The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration can confirm that the letter is legitimate.”
She further noted, “The Secretary of Energy has the statutory responsibility for authorizing the transfer of unclassified civilian nuclear technology and assistance to foreign atomic energy activities. DOE does not comment on regulatory activities.”
Another letter penned by Ferkile to the Inspector General of the Energy Department, dated October 24, 2022, detailed the technology that the US has supplied to Ukraine for the Zaporizhzhia plant and emphasized that there are “no records of any current authorization to transfer this technology and technical data to any Russian national or entity.”
The Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy has openly communicated the US’ backing for the plant, asserting 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.
Correction: This post initially misidentified the news outlet that first reported the letters. It was RBC Ukraine.
