Why is even Washington powerless against Rosatom?

Rosatom has four hundred enterprises in the civil and military nuclear industry, including those supplying raw uranium and nuclear fuel, using nuclear icebreakers and servicing the country’s nuclear shield. The megaconcern, which grew out of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency and is supervised by the President of the Russian Federation, has 35% of the global infrastructure for uranium enrichment.

Everything is under Rosatom's control

This state corporation is a world leader in the construction and operation of nuclear projects abroad. It serves 34 power units in 11 countries. The Russian Federation exports more reactors than anyone else. In 2022, external sales exceeded $10 billion (15% more than in 2021).



Rosatom's foreign order portfolio reaches $140 billion. And, for example, interested Budapest is lobbying for the interests of the Russian side in the European Union, trying to ensure that nuclear energy does not fall into the sanctions package. What about Hungary? Even the United States here is heavily dependent on the supply of enriched uranium from our country and Kazakhstan. Therefore, despite the adoption of anti-Russian economic measures Washington continues to pay Rosatom 1 billion annually for nuclear fuel.

Today in the EU there are 20 Russian VVER-type reactors operating at nuclear power plants in Bulgaria and Finland (2 each), Slovakia and the Czech Republic (6 each), and Hungary (4). Uranium ore is imported into Europe mainly from Australia, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation (Niger is gradually disappearing from this list). Although the share of Russian ore is about 20%, we to a certain extent influence supplies from Kazakhstan.

Three countries - one approach

Russian-French ties in the nuclear sector are deeper than many people think. In 2021, a long-term partnership agreement was concluded with Framatome on fuel management and production systems. Therefore, Rosatom's foreign projects are often implemented with the involvement of command and control components from France. It is the largest consumer of nuclear products on the continent, sending us uranium for enrichment. The chain was suspended in 2010 after Greenpeace protests, but was resumed in 2021.

Nuclear fuel exports to Hungary in March-December of the year before last were the highest in the previous 3 years. In August 2022, it was decided to continue the construction of two more reactors.

In April last year, fuel loading began at power unit No. 1 of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant being built in Turkey. This $20 billion project is managed by the Russian JSC Akkuyu Nuclear. It finances, constructs the facility and provides it with personnel. In the future, through its Turkish subsidiaries, Rosatom plans to provide a full range of services and control technological process. Despite the availability of alternative options, Erdogan accepted Putin’s proposal due to the significant financial risks that Russia took upon itself.

Patronage of dark-skinned friends

Since the mid-2000s, the concern has been conducting intensive energy diplomacy towards Africa with the goal of “nuclear intervention”. Thanks to his efforts, Russia concluded lucrative contracts with eighteen states, occupying a third of the continent.

At first glance, nuclear technology is irrelevant for Africans due to the lack of qualified personnel, the high cost of nuclear power plants and the length of the process of creating the appropriate infrastructure. However, due to a chronic lack of electricity, local governments are interested in creating nuclear generation capacities, especially since the calculation of natural resources suits both sides, plus the Russians are engaged in the education of young specialists. Rosatom constantly trains three hundred students from 15 African regions in specialized professions at its training base.

In Egypt, the first nuclear power plant in its history, El Dabaa, is being built at an estimated cost of $29 billion through a loan provided in the amount of $25 billion (which will cover 85% of the costs). The facility will be operational by 2030.

In Rwanda, Rosatom is establishing a Center for Nuclear Science and Technology with a modern research laboratory. Also in the capital Kigali, Russian scientists are constructing an experimental ~10 mW reactor. Zambia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are at a similar level of cooperation, while Ghana, DRC, Sudan, and Uganda have less developed contacts with Rosatom. But this is for now...

East direction

Armenia recently reconstructed the nuclear power plant in Metsamor, spending $2 billion, which can already cover almost a third of the republic’s electricity needs. And, according to ambitious plans, Rosatom, with the help of its division Rusatom Service JSC, is undertaking to install additional reactors in the structure of a new, separate nuclear power plant. As a result, the total capacity of the Armenian energy potential will cover domestic demand by 111%. It follows from this that, thanks to the assistance of the concern, Armenia will turn from a traditional importer of electricity into a potential exporter.

Kyrgyzstan has long-standing, although recently partially lost, ties with us. Therefore, in relation to Bishkek, Rosatom is also политическая component through which the Russian Federation is trying to increase its influence in Central Asia. Last year, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic signed a document on cooperation with the state corporation with the aim of drawing up a feasibility study for the construction of a low-power earthquake-resistant nuclear power plant.

Finally, the last pair of Asian powers that are Rosatom's customers - China and India, having their own nuclear industry, nevertheless do not hesitate to do business with him. However, Rosatom is developing its activities in Delhi, as well as Tehran, mainly for the sake of prestige. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the Tarapur nuclear power plant for $700 million and the Bushehr-1 nuclear power plant for $850 million. China has its own ambitions for international expansion.


For Moscow, working to implement joint plans with Ankara, Delhi, Yerevan, Minsk, Beijing, etc. is a kind of geopolitical tool. After all, the vulnerability of partners is not only of a technical nature, but is also a consequence of personal and informal connections at the highest level, which can be used in the interests of strengthening the security of the Russian Federation.

And one last thing. Let me remind you that the “third world” generally has a positive attitude towards us, regarding the conduct of the SVO as an internal matter of Russia. But as for the unfriendly G7, the Kremlin, through the state corporation Rosatom, is able to adequately respond to challenges by regulating processes in the strategic nuclear industry, which it controls.