Łukašenka says he wants second nuclear plant to power Russian-annexed territories
Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant
September 26, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that he wants a second Belarusian nuclear power plant to supply electricity to the Russian-annexed territories of Ukraine.
Łukašenka proposed either expanding the existing Astraviec Nuclear Power Plant or building a new one in eastern Belarus, saying that the additional capacity could provide power to the occupied regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk.
According to a video posted on a Telegram channel linked to Łukašenka, Putin replied that financing would not be an issue as long as there were buyers for the electricity.
Russia’s Rosatom commissioned the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant in Astraviec, Hrodna region, in the fall of 2023. Unit 1 has supplied electricity to the grid since November 2020, and Unit 2 since May 2023. The units began commercial operation in June 2021 and November 2023, respectively.
