Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is a Russian facility and transferring control to Ukraine or any other country is impossible. The ministry emphasized that joint operation of the plant is unacceptable, as it would undermine the necessary physical and nuclear safety measures.
The statement also noted that the Zaporizhzhia region, partially controlled by Russian forces, is one of four regions in Ukraine that were annexed by Russia following referendums conducted seven months after the invasion. A presidential decree formally designated the plant as Russian property, although Western nations have dismissed these referendums as fraudulent.
The ministry affirmed, "The return of the station to Russia's nuclear sector has been a fait accompli for quite some time," reiterating that transferring the plant to Ukraine or another country is impossible.
Since its seizure at the beginning of the invasion, both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of conducting attacks that threaten the safety of the plant, which is the largest in Europe with six reactors. Although the plant is not currently generating electricity, the UN's nuclear watchdog has monitors stationed there, as it does at all Ukrainian nuclear power sites.
Ukraine demands the return of the plant to its jurisdiction and considers the 2022 annexation of its territory illegal. During a recent phone conversation, U.S. President Joe Biden suggested to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that the United States could potentially invest in Ukraine's nuclear power plants. Zelenskiy asserted that the plants belong to the Ukrainian people, emphasizing the need for Ukraine's rights over its energy resources.