Press Release, 13.05.2026

Photo: Member of the Yabloko’s regional council Oleg Ivanov (the Green Russia faction) and Chair of the Maritime Territory branch of Yabloko Marina Zheleznyakova / Photo by the Maritime Territory branch of Yabloko

The Green Russia faction of the Yabloko party has submitted its comments and proposals on the licence justification materials (LJM) for activities in the field of nuclear energy use, specifically, the “Placement of Power Unit No. 2” project. The faction has concluded that a number of key questions require further consideration and public discussion. Given the construction of other energy facilities in the Far East, the region may be able to avoid an electricity shortage without undertaking such a costly project.

On 14 April, public hearings were held in Ussuriysk, at which the question of building a new nuclear power plant in the Far East was among the matters considered. In connection with this, Marina Zheleznyakova, Chair of Yabloko’s branch in the Maritime Territory chair and leader of the Green Russia faction in the Maritime Territory, submitted comments and proposals on the licence justification materials for the new nuclear power plant construction project.

“The construction of a new nuclear power plant in the Far East appears to be economically unjustified and extremely costly for the country’s budget,” the Yabloko branch stated. “The cost of building a nuclear power plant in compliance with all current safety requirements significantly exceeds the cost of developing other types of energy generation.”

The Green Russia faction of Yabloko accordingly insists on a comprehensive expert review of the project and broad public discussion before any decisions are taken that could affect the region’s environment and the country’s financial stability for decades to come.

Photo: Infographic by the Maritime Territory branch of Yabloko demonstrating that the costs of building a nuclear power plant is much higher than the cost of developing other types of energy generation

On 9 April, Chair of the Maritime Territory branch of Yabloko Marina Zheleznyakova and regional council member Oleg Ivanov (the Green Russia faction) took part in the plenary session of an energy forum, where the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Martime Territory was the subject of discussion. The main argument advanced by supporters of the project is a potential electricity shortage. However, more than 3 GW of new generating capacity is already planned to come online in the Far East by 2027, which would cover the projected energy deficit without the need to build a nuclear power station.

The Maritime Territory branch of Yabloko notes that the materials presented give virtually no consideration to alternative options for energy development, and that the possibility of abandoning the project altogether is not analysed. Questions have also been raised about the procedures for discussing the project and about the safety of the chosen site, where a large freshwater underground aquifer is located — a strategic source of drinking water for the Vladivostok agglomeration.