Capturing the Last Three Nuclear Reactor Sites in Ukraine Could Be a “Crucial Strategic Victory”

“To the extent that Putin’s goal is to dominate the country, having access to control these plants is going to be an important means of achieving that end,” said Jeff Merrifield, the leader of Pillsbury’s global Energy section and a two-term presidential appointee to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “If they have control over the power grid and can turn it on and off, and if part of their strategy is to wear down the Ukrainian people and government, that is certainly а way to accomplish it.”

Merrifield explained that before the invasion, Ukraine was pricing itself way from Russia’s grip and turning to the West for its nuclear needs – eroding Russia’s market share and the likely tens of billions it represents to the Kremlin.

“The timing is telling,” Merrifield said. “Clearly, the government of Ukraine prior to the war wanted to build additional nuclear generation on top of the fifty percent that they have of their power supply right now, and they not only contracted with Westinghouse to provide that but with substantial U.S. government financial support behind it and clearly а desire not to buy Russian.”

Merrifield added: “As nuclear power equipment and technologies are а major Russian export from а manufacturing standpoint I think that clearly irritated the Russians. Its value is tens or more of billions of dollars. And Ukraine clearly intended that Russia receive none of that business.”

Likewise, Merrifield said, “That motivation was one of а series of background reasons of why they wanted to go into Ukraine. It was certainly an important motivation because there is а huge financial benefit to Russia having control of the plants. And by seizing the nuclear plants, Russia is able to retake the market for Ukrainian nuclear fuel.”

Read the full article here.