The Russia-Ukraine War, which has been going on for more than two years, has a major impact on the Russian economy. The US and its Western allies have blamed Russia for the war, imposing economic sanctions on the largest country in the world (by area). France, the UK and the US have also urged different countries not to import crude oil from Russia. Hence, Moscow is unable to export crude oil to the West. After considering the situation, Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin appointed economist Andrey Removich Belousov as his Defence Minister on May 14, 2024 in an attempt to avoid a possible economic disaster!

Meanwhile, India is all set to build nuclear reactors in both land and water, courtesy Russia! Moscow recently assured New Delhi of all possible assistance in this regard. In the fourth week of May 2024, Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, the Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) of India, discussed the issue with Alexey Likhachev, the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, in Siberia. Russia Today reported that Dr Mohanty, along with Likhachev, visited the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex (PDEC) in Seversk, Tomsk region. The PDEC is part of the Proryv (Breakthrough) strategic industry project. The Russian official claimed that the PDEC would host “the safest atomic reactor in history” in near future.

The two officials reportedly discussed the future course of action during their meeting. Later, Likhachev informed the press that Russia was keen to work more closely with India on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He revealed that Russia would help India to build high-capacity nuclear power plants at several new locations in the South Asian nation. According to Likhachev, these nuclear plants would be built with the direct cooperation of Moscow. Initially, it was agreed that Russia would help India to build a high-capacity land-based nuclear power plant, along with a relatively low-power floating nuclear power plant.

Dr Mohanty and Likhachev further discussed the progress of work at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Indian Province of Tamil Nadu. A joint venture between a Russian state agency and India’s Nuclear Power Corporation, the Kudankulam plant can generate 6,000 megawatts of electricity. Two reactors of this nuclear power plant have started generating electricity, while two more reactors are under construction. New Delhi and Moscow have decided to build another two reactors there. In other words, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant would have a total of six reactors in future.

The most significant aspect of the meeting between Dr Mohanty and Likhachev is the floating nuclear power plant! Experts believe that the floating nuclear power plant shall bring a radical change in the energy production in India. An imaginary image of a floating nuclear power plant created by an artist shows a giant vessel floating in the water. There is a spherical nuclear plant right in the middle of the vessel, with smoke rising from the four furnaces installed in its four corners. The floating nuclear power plant, to be built with the help of Russia, could move slowly along the coasts and supply electricity uninterruptedly to any area!

So far, the trend of using electricity generated from nuclear power has not been quite popular in India. However, New Delhi is trying hard to produce electricity by using nuclear power in order to meet the growing demand for the same. Likhachev stressed that India and Russia would use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes. The floating nuclear power plant is originally the brainchild of Russia as only Moscow has the technology to manufacture such a plant.

Some political analysts have opined that Russia plans to hand over this particular technology to India in order to boost its own economy. Interestingly, Russia has long been an all-weathered friend of India. Since India’s Independence (in 1947), Moscow has stood by New Delhi during several internal and external crises (of the South Asian country). Also, Russia continues to be India’s main weapons supplier, accounting for 36% of its arms imports. Even as the US and its Western allies have stopped purchasing oil from Russia amid the Russia-Ukraine War, New Delhi continues to import crude from Moscow.

The reflection of the warmth bilateral ties is believed to have strengthened nuclear understanding between the two.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das