Bulgaria may sell Ukraine two Russian-made nuclear reactors to be installed at Khmelnytskyi NPP

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing officials familiar with the situation.

According to the agreement, which is still being negotiated, the Bulgarian state-owned energy company NEK will sell equipment from the unfinished Belene NPP to the Ukrainian nuclear state-owned company Energoatom for at least EUR 600 million.

According to the publication, since it will be difficult for Ukraine to afford such a sum, one of the options being discussed between Bulgarian and American officials is that the United States will contribute in the form of aid to Ukraine.

Another option is being considered, where Bulgaria will receive a minority stake in the Ukrainian Khmelnytskyi NPP, where the equipment will be installed.

On July 6, the Bulgarian parliament passed a resolution obliging the government to negotiate with Kyiv on the sale of the reactors. Citing unnamed officials, the WSJ claims that the deal, which had been prepared for several weeks, was kept secret to prevent attempts by pro-Russian politicians in Bulgaria to block it.

The Belene NPP has been shut down and restarted several times since the 1980s. Western governments have criticized the project for its technical and commercial imperfections due to its dependence on Russian fuel supplies. The plant has gigawatt VVER-1000 water-water reactors. Exactly the same reactors are installed at the two power units of the Khmelnytskyi NPP that have been commissioned.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on a visit to Bulgaria on Thursday, July 6. During his visit, the parties signed a declaration of support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and cooperation in the energy sector. The Bulgarian parliament also voted in favor of Ukraine's membership in NATO and support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula.