Russia Alleges Foreign Disinformation Campaigns Targeting Egypt's El-Dabaa Nuclear Project

Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, has issued a clarification regarding statements by its Director General, Alexey Likhachev, concerning foreign efforts to disrupt and "sabotage" Egypt’s El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project. In an official statement released on its social media channels in Arabic, Rosatom detailed that the "sabotage and hostile practices" Likhachev referred to are primarily coordinated misinformation campaigns aimed at damaging the reputations of both the project and the Russian corporation.

Likhachev had previously stated at the Russia-Africa Summit that the development of the flagship Egyptian nuclear plant had encountered significant global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, international sanctions, and external pressure from foreign nations. However, he emphasized that joint Egyptian-Russian project teams, with robust support from the leadership of both countries, had successfully maintained construction progress.

Rosatom reiterated that construction at the El-Dabaa site is proceeding on schedule, notwithstanding external attempts to erode public confidence in the nuclear facility. The El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant represents Egypt’s first commercial nuclear power facility, situated in the Matrouh Governorate along the Mediterranean coast, approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Cairo. This project, a collaboration with Russia’s Rosatom, involves four advanced VVER-1200 Generation III+ reactors with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts and represents a $30 billion investment. Upon its projected completion around 2030, the plant is expected to supply about 10 percent of Egypt’s electricity, playing a crucial role in the nation's strategy to diversify its energy sources and transition to clean, low-carbon power.