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Russian executive linked to Hungary’s Paks II project detained over alleged funding of Ukrainian army
Russian authorities have detained a senior executive of Atomstroyexport, the state-owned company acting as the main contractor for Hungary’s Paks II nuclear power plant expansion, on suspicion of financing the Ukrainian armed forces.
Executive of Hungary’s contractor detained
The individual in question is Mikhail Shcherbak, Director for Capital Construction at Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom. According to reports by the Russian news agency Interfax, he was taken into custody earlier this week and questioned by investigators on Friday. While Russian media have reported the allegation of financial support for Ukraine’s military, official statements so far have provided few details about the nature or scale of the suspected transactions.
Financing a country’s army who’s at war with Russia? Not a smart decision if true
Under Russian law, any form of financial assistance to Ukrainian organisations or institutions, regardless of the amount or whether it is provided indirectly, is considered a serious criminal offence. Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for nearly four years, and legislation related to national security and “foreign assistance” has been significantly tightened since the invasion began.
Rosatom has confirmed the detention of Shcherbak, and stated that it is fully cooperating with the authorities. In a brief statement, the corporation said that “competent bodies are carrying out investigative actions in relation to Atomstroyexport employee Mikhail Shcherbak, and the necessary assistance is being provided”. No further comment was made on the substance of the allegations.
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How did Shcherbak get in his current position?
Earlier media reports suggested that Shcherbak is suspected specifically of financing the Armed Forces of Ukraine, although this has not yet been formally confirmed by law enforcement agencies. Interfax noted that the investigation is ongoing.
Shcherbak has held a number of senior positions in Russia’s nuclear and construction sectors. Prior to 2007, he served as deputy head of the administration of Sarov, a closed city known for its role in Russia’s nuclear programme, where he was responsible for architecture and urban development. According to Mezha.net, he later joined Atomenergoproekt in Nizhny Novgorod, a company involved in the design and construction of nuclear power plants, before moving to Atomstroyexport.
What will happen to the Paks power plant project?
The case is likely to draw attention in Hungary due to Atomstroyexport’s key role in the Paks II project, which aims to expand Hungary’s only nuclear power plant with two new reactors built using Russian technology and financing. The project has been politically sensitive for years, both domestically and within the European Union, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Currently it is unknown whether the investigation will have a direct impact on the progress of the Paks II construction, and neither Hungarian authorities nor the project company have commented publicly on the detention.
Unfortunately corruption plagues every society, particularly at the highest levels.
If I started writing about the corruption, at the highest levels, in my country, I would be dead before I got to the end of it.
One thing I can say, however : we, in the disUnited States, are in absolutely no position to critisize anyone else, anywhere else in the world.
The EU is also not in a position to critisize anyone else, for their profiteering over the Plandemic/Scandemic or money laundering in the Ukraine has reached epic levels that only history books, a century from now, will come close to accurately reporting.
Ah, the classic “everyone is corrupt” defense.
A Russian executive, building Hungary’s nuclear plant, is arrested for funding the army his own country is invading, and Mouton’s take is to shrug and say, “Yeah, but what about the US? What about the EU?” It’s the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card for his favored regimes: never address the specific, damning fact, just vaguely gesture at other sinners.
It’s a moral evasion so broad it could excuse anything, and it perfectly serves to distract from the uncomfortable web of dependencies the article actually reveals. Mouton’s cynicism isn’t wisdom; it’s intellectual surrender.