Verification within Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program
Kremlin-affiliated Telegram channels are once again discrediting Ukraine. They are circulating a letter allegedly from the president of the state enterprise “Energoatom” to the Polish Minister of Climate and Environment “Paulina Hennig-Kloska”, stating readiness to start electricity supplies from June 30, 2024. The letter supposedly claims that Ukraine has made a final decision to disconnect Units 1 and 2 of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant to redirect their output for export to Poland.
This is fake. The “letter” is forged, with numerous errors indicating its inauthenticity. Energoatom also refuted the fake, stating that the company’s head does not send such letters to foreign state bodies.
Screenshot of the post
The Russians forged the letter, which is evident from several mistakes. The “document” uses the phrase “цім листом” (incorrect), instead of the correct “цим листом.” The last sentence is also incorrectly formulated. Initially, it states that Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry decided to disconnect two units of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, then continues without any punctuation, stating that “буде повністю переорієнтовано на експорт електроенергії (will be completely reoriented to export electricity).” At the very least, the sentence lacks agreement, as it should be “(два енергоблоки будуть переорієнтовані) two units will be reoriented…”.
Moreover, Ukraine has not had a Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry since 2019. Initially, it was merged with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (forming the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection), and in 2020, it was renamed the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
There are also errors in the salutation. The document addresses “the Minister of Climate and Environment of Poland, Пауліне Хенніг-Клоске (Paulina Hennig-Kloska),” instead of the correct “Пауліні Хенніг-Клосці.”
Since December 30, 2023, the state enterprise “Energoatom” changed its ownership form to a joint-stock company. Therefore, its correct name is “Joint-Stock Company (JSC) NNEGCEnergoatom,” not “State Enterprise (SE) NNEGC Energoatom”. Additionally, Petro Kotin’s position, who supposedly sent the letter, is inaccurately stated — he is currently the acting chairman of the board of JSC NNEGC Energoatom.
On Energoatom’s website, we also found an old order by Kotin when he was still the president of the company. The original document shows the short title “President” and a signature, while the Russians added the company name.
Errors made by Russians in the “document”
Example of the original Kotin’s order with position stated without mentioning the company name next to it
In a comment to the Center for Countering Disinformation, Energoatom also refuted the fake letter by the Russians. The company stated that Kotin’s signature was forged and that the head of Energoatom does not send such letters to foreign state bodies, as it violates the ethics and rules of official international correspondence.
After massive Russian strikes and the destruction of Ukraine’s energy facilities, Ukrainians faced power outages. Propagandists exploited this topic, attempting to incite hostility and panic among Ukrainians. The Russians, in particular, are trying to portray that Ukrainians are without electricity not because of Russian strikes, but because of “selling” electricity abroad. We have repeatedly refuted fakes about “selling electricity” in our materials, and the Ministry of Energy has also made statements on this matter. Electricity export from Ukraine can be verified on the European energy system website, ENTSO-E. Currently, according to ENTSO-E, Ukraine is not exporting electricity to other countries.
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