Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov has said that Bulgaria will not sell Ukraine two nuclear reactors from the unfinished Belene Nuclear Power Plant, which had been planned for use at the Khmelnytskyi NPP.
That’s according to Novinite, Ukrinform reports.
Zafirov confirmed during a briefing at his party’s headquarters, following a meeting of its executive bureau, that the two reactors from Bulgaria’s Belene NPP would not be sold to Ukraine.
He emphasized that this is a collective decision of the ruling coalition, describing the reactors as “crucial to Bulgaria’s energy security and economic independence.”
Zafirov stated that nuclear energy is a reliable, cost-effective, and predictable energy source.
He argued that Bulgaria has both the infrastructure and the expertise to develop this sector domestically and that selling the reactors would have been a grave mistake.
In addition, he stressed that all coalition partners, including GERB, had backed the decision not to proceed with the sale. He personally discussed the matter with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and expressed gratitude for the unified support.
Zafirov underlined the strategic nature of the decision, especially amid rising global energy prices and ongoing instability in the sector.
In 2024, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law “On the Placement, Design, and Construction of Power Units No. 3 and No. 4 of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant.” To complete these units, Ukraine planned to purchase Russian-made equipment from Bulgaria.
According to Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko, around $1.5 billion has already been invested in the construction of Units 3 and 4 at Khmelnytskyi NPP.
On February 11, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada approved the purchase of the Russian-manufactured equipment from Bulgaria for the completion of the two power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP.
Source: Bulgarian government says it will not sell reactors to Ukraine for Khmelnytskyi NPP
