Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: US warns Russia not to touch American nuclear technology at Ukrainian nuclear plant
Cnn
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The United States has sensitive nuclear technology in a nuclear power plant within Ukraine and warns Russia not to touch it, according to a letter that the US Energy Ministry sent to the Public Nuclear Energy Company belonging to Russia, Rosatom last month.
In the letter, which was examined by CNN and dated March 17, 2023, the director of the Office of the Non-Proliferation Policy of the Department of Energy, Andrea Ferkile, told the Rosatom nuclear power plant that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Enerhodar “contains nuclear technical data of American origin which are exported by the American government”.
Property, software and technology are subject to American export controls when it is possible to be used in a way that undermines the American interests of national security.
The letter from the Energy Department comes as the Russian forces continue to control the factory, which is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and is in part of the Zaporizhzhia region that Russia occupied after its invasion of Ukraine last February. The factory has been frequently disconnected from the Ukrainian electrical network due to the intense Russian bombings in the region, raising fears of the fears across Europe of a nuclear accident.
While the factory is still physically operated by Ukrainian staff, Rosatom manages it. The Department of Energy warned Rosatom in the letter that it is “illegal” for all Russian citizens or entities to manage American technology.
CNN contacted Rosatom to comment.
Satellite images show that Russia’s changes bring to the occupied nuclear power plant
“IT IS UNLAWFUL Under United States Law for Non-Authorized Persons, Including, But not limited to, Russian Citizens and Russian Entities,” The Letter Says, “Such as Rosatom and its subsidiaries, To Knowningly and Will Afully Access, Possess, Control, Store, Store, Re-Export Ship, Transfer, Copy, Manipulate Such Technology or Technical Data, OR Direct, Or Authorize Others to Do the Same, Without Such Russian Entities Becoming Authoirized Himp by the American Department of Energy.
It is not clear if Rosatom responded to the letter. The National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy told CNN in a statement that the letter was authentic.
The letters were reported for the first time by the RBC Ukraine RBC press press.
“The National Nuclear Security Administration of the Ministry of Energy can confirm that the letter is legitimate,” said Shayela Hassan, deputy director of public affairs of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
She added: “The energy secretary has legal responsibility to authorize the transfer of non -classified civilian nuclear technology and to help foreign atomic energy activities. The DOE does not comment on regulatory activities. ”
Another letter from Ferkile to the Inspector General of the Department of Energy, examined by CNN and dated October 24, 2022, describes the technology that the United States has exported to Ukraine for use in the Zaporizhzhia factory and reiterates that the ministry has “no registration of any current authorization to transfer this technology and technical data to a national or Russian entity”.
The Energy Department’s Nuclear Energy Office was public about supporting the United States at the factory and said on its website in June 2021 that “the United States has helped implement new reactor procedures and operations that should ultimately strengthen energy security” in Ukraine.
Correction: a previous version of this story has misused the media which pointed out the letters for the first time. It was RBC Ukraine.
