The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) prevented Russian special services from gaining access to the design documentation of two operating Ukrainian nuclear power plants, which was developed in Kharkiv.
These are materials for the Zaporizhzhya and South Ukrainian NPPs that are of strategic importance for the safe operation of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the SBU reported on Telegram.
This documentation was stored at the Kharkiv Institute Enerhoproyekt, a controlling stake in which is owned by the state. It was here that the general designs of the Zaporizhzhya and South Ukrainian NPPs were developed in the Soviet era, and recently their modernization and technical re-equipment were designed.
The SBU operatives received information in advance about attempts by individual Ukrainian citizens and commercial entities under their control to establish control over this state project institution. It was established that the real purpose of the attacks was to obtain the NPP design documentation, which posed a real threat of harm to the state, economic and environmental security of Ukraine.
According to the investigation, before the start of Russian aggression in 2014, almost a third of the shares in the Kharkiv Design Institute were owned by a Russian commercial entity, which in turn was affiliated with the Russian special services. After several resales through offshore companies, Ukrainian individuals and legal entities became the owners of this stake.
As a result of the investigative actions, the SBU blocked illegal access to the design documentation by the Russian special services. The archived documents were seized and arrested by the court.
The SBU has now identified the executors and customers of this fraud. Within the framework of criminal proceedings initiated by the SBU investigators on the grounds of Part 1 Article 114 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (espionage), the possible involvement of the offenders in cooperation with the Russian special services is being checked. The investigative and operative actions are ongoing.
The illegal activities were documented by the SBU directorate in Kharkiv Region under the procedural supervision of the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office.