In a letter dated March 17, 2023, the Director of the US Department of Energy’s Non-Proliferation Office, Andrea Ferkile, informs the CEO of the Russian state-owned Rosatom that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant
contains nuclear technical data of American origin that is the United States subject to export control.
Goods, software, and technology are subject to U.S. export controls if they are likely to be used in a way that harms U.S. national security interests.
The letter from the Ministry of Energy arrived at a time when the Russian forces had been under control of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant for a long time. Although the plant is still physically operated by Ukrainian personnel, it is actually controlled by Rosatom. The ministry warned Rosatom in a letter that it is illegal for Russian citizens or organizations to handle American technology.
As written, it is illegal under US law for unauthorized persons, including Russian citizens and Russian entities such as Rosatom and its affiliates, to knowingly and intentionally access, possess, control, export, store, seize, inspect, re-export, transport , transmit, copy, manipulate, or control such technology or technical data, or authorize others to do so, without the Russian entities becoming recipients authorized by the US Secretary of Energy.
It is not known whether Rosatom responded to the letter brought to light by the Ukrainian RBC.
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