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Ukraine mulls withdrawing from nuclear construction deal with Russia

Xinhua, July 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Ukrainian government is considering a possibility to withdraw from a deal with Russia on joint construction of two reactors at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in western Ukraine, Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.

"The government proposes the parliament urgently cancel the agreement with Russia concerning the completion of the construction of No.3 and No.4 units at Khmelnitsky NPP," Yatsenyuk told a cabinet meeting.

He said Ukraine is forced to withdraw from the contract as Russia "failed to fulfill the obligations assumed under the agreement."

In June 2010, Ukraine and Russia signed a deal to jointly unfreeze the construction of two units at the Khmelnitsky NPP. Under the accord, Moscow has committed itself to investing between 5 billion and 6 billion U.S. dollars on the project.

The construction of the reactors at the Khmelnitsky NPP started in 1985, but was halted a year later following a nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl NPP, which resulted in the demolition of No. 4 reactor and the spread of radiation across Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and some European countries.

Currently, 15 reactors in four nuclear power plants are operating in Ukraine, generating over half of the country's electricity. Endi