Energoatom
Ukraine's state nuclear energy generating company, operator of its four nuclear power plants and the recipient of the Urenco enriched-uranium supply deal.
Last refreshed: 16 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can Energoatom keep all three unoccupied plants running if Russia targets substations again?
Timeline for Energoatom
Agreed to receive Urenco enriched uranium sufficient to run VVER reactors for two years
Russia-Ukraine War 2026: UK uranium deal cuts Russia's fuel lever- What does Energoatom do and which plants does it run?
- Energoatom is Ukraine's state nuclear operator. It runs three active nuclear power plants (Khmelnytskyi, Rivne and South Ukraine) using Soviet-designed VVER reactors. The Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian occupation since 2022.Source: event
- How is Energoatom reducing its dependence on Russian nuclear fuel?
- Energoatom has been sourcing Westinghouse-compatible fuel assemblies and in June 2026 secured a £210m Urenco deal for British-enriched uranium, removing the need to buy from Russia's TVEL for approximately two years.Source: event
- Is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant still under Russian control?
- Yes. As of June 2026, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains under Russian occupation. Energoatom manages the three unoccupied plants; ZNPP has experienced repeated blackouts and safety incidents under occupation.Source: event
Background
Energoatom (officially the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine) is the state enterprise that operates all four of Ukraine's nuclear power plants: Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, South Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia. Together these plants produce roughly half of Ukraine's electricity in normal times. All four use Soviet-designed VVER pressurised-water reactors, whose original fuel specification was tied to Russia's TVEL subsidiary.
Since 2022, Energoatom has been a primary target of Russian strikes on Energy infrastructure, and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) came under Russian occupation from early in the war, creating an acute safety risk that has generated repeated warnings from the IAEA. Energoatom lost operational control of ZNPP but has continued to manage the other three plants. The company has also been diversifying fuel supply: Westinghouse began shipping compatible VVER fuel assemblies before the war, and the June 2026 Urenco deal extends that strategy to British enriched uranium.
The £210m UK Export Finance-backed deal with Urenco, announced 16 June 2026, provides enough enriched uranium to power Ukraine's non-occupied reactors for approximately two years. Eliminating the last major Russian fuel dependency on Energoatom's balance sheet removes a significant economic lever Moscow retained over Ukraine's electricity sector even as fighting continued.
