In a dramatic policy reversal, Bulgaria’s government scrapped plans to sell two mothballed Russian nuclear reactors to Ukraine, according to Euractiv.
The surprise decision throws Kyiv’s energy security plans into disarray while reigniting debates about Bulgaria’s own nuclear future.
The two VVER-1000 reactors, originally destined for Bulgaria’s abandoned Belene nuclear project, had been earmarked for Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi power plant, which operates identical Russian-designed units. Despite preliminary approval from Ukraine’s parliament and backing from Bulgarian ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the deal collapsed after intervention by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).
BSP leader Atanas Zafirov’s announcement of a “unified government stance” against the sale marks a victory in Bulgaria’s ruling coalition.
We have a collective decision regarding the fate of the two reactors—they will not be sold. This is a decision supported by all coalition partners. I thank our partners for standing united behind this strategic choice.
The reactors, stored near the Danube alongside auxiliary equipment, represent a €1 billion white elephant from Bulgaria’s failed Belene project. While Borissov had championed their sale as a fiscal windfall for a treasury-strapped nation, critics argued the move would undermine Bulgaria’s long-term energy options.
Zafirov insists Bulgaria retains both the expertise and permitted site to eventually revive Belene, a curious claim given Sofia’s current commitment to US-designed AP1000 reactors at Kozloduy NPP, being built by South Korea’s Hyundai. Such a turn of events leaves Ukraine scrambling for alternative solutions as it seeks to offset lost nuclear capacity amid the ongoing war.
