“The Russian nuclear company Rosatom is not just another energy company. It is a state within the state, and a political instrument for the Kremlin. With a tangled web of influence, Rosatom is tightening its grip on parts of the nuclear industry across borders. At the same time, the company is actively participating in Putin’s war against Ukraine, creating the most serious nuclear safety situation in the world through the occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.”, said Hauge.

Watch a recording of the Bellona Forum on the Russian nuclear industry in wartime here.

Serious Concern

The current position of Rosatom is of great concern to both Ukraine and other European governments, as the occupation of a nuclear power plant during wartime is unprecedented. The Norwegian government had invested significantly in nuclear safety projects in Russia until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, all focus has shifted to helping Ukraine, including ensuring the safe operation of the three active nuclear power plants still under Ukrainian control.

Per Kristian Roer, Senior Adviser from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gave a presentation on Norway’s contributions to nuclear and radiation safety and emphasized that Norwegian authorities will continue to support this work in Ukraine.

“Through Norway’s nuclear action plan, the government supports both concrete on-the-ground projects in Ukraine and the work of civil society organizations like Bellona,” said Roer.

New Bellona Report

Bellona nuclear expert Aleksandr Nikitin presented Bellona’s new report on the Russian nuclear industry. He emphasized that Rosatom plays a crucial role in Russia. Its reactor fleet—consisting of 10 land-based and one floating nuclear power plant—accounts for approximately 18% of the country’s electricity production. The government aims to raise this share to 25%.

“That will be a challenge. The existing reactors are aging, and many will be decommissioned in the coming years. These will need to be replaced with large-scale construction projects, and it is unclear whether Russia will be able to pull that off,” said Nikitin.

He further highlighted that Rosatom is important to the Kremlin because it oversees Russia’s nuclear weapons program, leads the national initiative to develop the Northern Sea Route as a new transport corridor outside international control, and fosters dependency in other countries through foreign reactor construction and dominance in the global uranium enrichment market.

‘A United Front is Essential’

Senior researcher Darya Dolzikova from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London also spoke at the Bellona Forum.

“Rosatom controls 44 percent of global uranium enrichment capacity—a key step in producing fuel for nuclear reactors,” she said.

Dolzikova stressed that the lack of transparency in the international nuclear industry makes it difficult to determine whether Russia is disguising uranium exports by selling them to third countries like China for resale. Because of challenges like this, she underscored the need for a unified effort to sanction Rosatom.

“Individual countries can’t make a big enough difference. It takes collaboration to replace Rosatom’s services. Technically, the Western nuclear industry could substitute Russian uranium and fuel to break free of Rosatom, but the capacity is lacking—and it will take time to build up,” said Dolzikova.

Rosatom is Expanding Despite War

Despite the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Rosatom continues to build more reactors abroad. Bellona nuclear expert Dmitry Gorchakov showed that more foreign Rosatom reactors are being planned and built now than before the 2022 invasion.

“The main shift for the Russian nuclear industry is that it no longer has free access to Western markets. Instead, it’s focusing on projects in the Global South and in Asia. The limited sanctions imposed on Russia’s nuclear industry haven’t had much impact—aside from some delays in foreign projects, which are more a result of broader sanctions against Russia,” said Gorchakov.

Olena Lapenko from the Ukrainian think tank DiXi Group was direct in her call for tougher sanctions on Rosatom. Proposals from DiXi Group include a European boycott of Rosatom projects and services, the removal of Russian representatives from senior positions at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and targeted sanctions against Rosatom subsidiaries that contribute to the war in Ukraine.

“The goal must be to reduce Russia’s revenues and influence. The West must find and develop alternatives to become independent of the Russian nuclear industry,” emphasized Lapenko.

Widespread Concern

Ingar Amundsen, head of section at the Norwegian Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (DSA), expressed deep concern over the nuclear safety situation in Ukraine.

“The occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is only part of the picture. Ukraine’s other nuclear plants are struggling to operate safely, facing issues like maintenance challenges, attacks on the power grid needed for safe operation, and the risk of radioactive material release from waste and spent fuel storage,” said Amundsen.

He also warned of the risk that radioactive material could be lost or fall into the wrong hands during the war—something Norway hopes to help Ukraine prevent going forward.

Earlier this year, Bellona published a report questioning whether the current international nuclear safety system is equipped to handle the occupation of nuclear facilities, and whether the IAEA is capable of preventing such scenarios from happening again.

Systemic Failure and a Clear Warning

All experts at the Bellona Forum agreed: the international system has failed in this situation. It must be reviewed and reformed in light of the war in Ukraine. The panel’s message was clear: If we don’t make changes, this could happen again—both in Ukraine and elsewhere.