Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will remain under Russian control, ruling out any transfer to Ukraine or another nation.
The ministry stated that joint operation of the plant was not feasible, citing concerns over ensuring nuclear and physical security.
Moscow maintains that the facility, located in a partially Russian-controlled region of Ukraine, was officially annexed through referendums in 2022, seven months after launching its full-scale invasion.
Western governments have dismissed these referendums as illegitimate.
“The return of the station to Russia’s nuclear sector has been a fait accompli for quite some time,” the ministry declared, reinforcing its stance against any handover.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant early in the war, and both sides have since accused each other of attacks endangering its safety.
Despite the plant no longer producing electricity, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog continues to monitor its operations, as it does with all Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
Ukraine has repeatedly demanded the return of the station, rejecting Russia’s annexation as unlawful under international law.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that U.S. President Donald Trump recently discussed potential American involvement in Ukraine’s nuclear sector during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
