When the pre-independence movement began, Ukrainian politicians were supportive of joining the NPT as a non-nuclear power state. In its Declaration of Sovereignty, Ukraine pledged to not accept, develop, or acquire nuclear weapons. Although this pledge was not universally endorsed by all political parties in Ukraine, some felt that Russia was still a threat and that it would be necessary to retain the power plant’s nuclear weapons as a deterrent.
While there have been some concerns about the government’s attitude toward nuclear power, Ukraine actually has one of the world’s largest nuclear fleets. It operates four nuclear power plants and 15 reactors, and its total installed nuclear power capacity stands at over 13 GWe. In 2016, Ukraine ranked seventh among all countries with the highest nuclear power capacity. The state-owned utility Energoatom manages all of Ukraine’s four active nuclear power plants, and all of these are reportedly operating normally.
The Ukrainian nuclear energy programme was developed as part of the Soviet Union’s nuclear energy program. The country started developing nuclear power in the early 1970s and built its first reactor at Chornobyl in 1986. In 1978, the country put into operation its first RBMK-type unit with a capacity of 1,000 MW(e). By the 1980s, close co-operation was established between research centres and relevant industries. The cooperation covered all aspects needed to build a nuclear reactor, including geology, ore mining, chemistry, and materials science.
Refueling Ukraine’s reactors will be a major challenge. Because new nuclear fuel is not stored onsite, reactors must plan a brief shutdown when new fuel arrives. In addition to Russia, Ukraine also has agreements with Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric to purchase fuel. This will be the biggest issue for the Ukrainian economy, which is already suffering from a shortage of foreign currency. Therefore, it may be wise to start building their own nuclear power facilities to combat this problem.
There are a few issues that need to be addressed in order to avoid a nuclear disaster in Ukraine. The first of these is the legality of the new government’s actions. The United States and Ukraine both have signed an agreement to protect their own national security. While this may not be legally binding, the U.S. government has made certain that the weapons are secure. As long as they are transported back to the right location, the Ukrainian government does not need to maintain operational control.
While Ukraine has three nuclear power plants and 15 reactors, it is the third largest nuclear power after the United States and Russia. It has more than 5,000 nuclear weapons than the United States and France. In 2014, the country imported nearly 50% of its electricity from Russia. But its relationship with Moscow remains tense and tensions have soared. Aside from the nuclear plant, Ukraine has also been importing natural gas and oil from the former Soviet Union.