Russia accuses West of wanting to wreck Rosatom’s plans to bring nuclear power to Central Asia

The West has launched a “large-scale information campaign” to discredit Russia’s Rosatom and hinder its plans to construct nuclear power plants in “fraternal” countries of Central Asia, according to a Russian Security Council official.

Those behind the move want to prevent Russia’s state nuclear corporation from delivering turnkey nuclear power projects, Alexey Shevtsov, deputy secretary of the council, was reported as saying by TASS. Shevtsov made particular reference to Rosatom’s ongoing work to build Kazakhstan its first nuclear power plant (NPP) and its offer to construct a smaller-scale NPP in Kyrgyzstan. Rosatom is also building Uzbekistan its first nuclear energy facility.

Rosatom holds 90% of all nuclear power export contracts worldwide, Shevtsov was also reported as saying, the implication being that those in the background said to be working against its foreign market plans would not stop at Central Asia.

A Kazakh analyst asked by Azattyk Asia to assess Shevtsov’s remarks said he saw the comments as nothing more than demonstrative rhetoric that could serve as a form of insurance policy in the event that Rosatom proves incapable of delivering its promised NPP projects, partly because of growing problems with financing.

Asset Nauryzbayev, a Kazakh energy expert and former head of the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company, or KEGOC, said such a failure was also quite possible because sanctions regimes applied to war-engaged Russia mean various global tech giants refuse to cooperate with Rosatom such as in the supply of complex components.

"Companies like Siemens [Energy] are restricted in their supplies [due to sanctions on Russia, Rosatom and Rosatom subsidiaries] and no longer want to get involved with Rosatom projects," Nauryzbayev was reported as saying.

In September 2024, it became clear that non-deliveries of parts by Siemens Energy were proving a major difficulty at the Rosatom project to build Turkey its first NPP, in Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast. The launch of the first reactor at the four-reactor NPP is now at least three years behind schedule. Siemens Energy blamed the parts delivery problem on Berlin’s refusal to issue export licences. In January 2025, Rosatom said it was set to take legal action against Siemens Energy for not delivering ordered equipment.

In Kazakhstan, the government has switched from commissioning Russian companies to instead hiring a Kazakhstani-Singaporean consortium for the construction of three coal-fired thermal power plants. The earlier plans, using Russian companies Inter RAO-Export and Firma ORGRES, were dropped after expected preferential financing from Russia was not confirmed.

Kazakh economist Aidar Alibayev in comments made to Ayattyk Asia went so far as to say that Russia is no longer capable of building an NPP following four years of its full-scale war against Ukraine that have led to a serious budget deficit and structural problems in its economy.

"The economy is collapsing across the board. A huge number of programmes and projects are being curtailed because there's simply no funding,” Almaty-based Alibayev was cited as saying.

In further comments, Nauryzbayev told the media outlet that a cooperation with Rosatom makes a country dependent not only on Russian technology but on future nuclear fuel and waste management.
He remarked: "These are nails hammered into countries for decades. Through them, influence is exerted.”