The Verkhovna Rada voted to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars from the budget to purchase a Russian reactor for a nuclear power plant

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has approved the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars from the state budget to purchase two Russian-made nuclear reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The decision was supported by 261 lawmakers.

This was reported by two different Ukrainian MPs on their social media accounts, although they cited different total costs for the deal.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, an MP from the Holos (Voice) party, stated that the purchase would cost Ukraine $1 billion.

Oleksiy Honcharenko, from European Solidarity, estimated the amount at $500 million.

Andriy Zhupanin, from the ruling Servant of the People party, mentioned a figure of $600 million.

According to Zhupanin, despite criticism, the deal has certain advantages:

• Ukraine is securing the agreement before the expiration of Bulgaria’s parliamentary authorization for the sale of the reactors.
• The purchase is limited to the reactors only, which caps the project cost at $600 million.
• The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers will prepare a new draft law on completing the Khmelnytskyi NPP expansion, which must include updated feasibility studies and details on funding sources for the entire project.