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Russia's nuclear plants, with 31 operating reactors totalling 21,743 MWe, comprise: 4 first generation VVER-440/230 or similar pressurised water reactors, 2 second generation VVER-440/213 pressurised water reactors, 9 third generation VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors with a full containment structure, mostly V-320 types, 11 RBMK light water graphite reactors now unique to Russia. The four oldest of these were commissioned in the 1970s at Kursk and Leningrad and are of some concern to the Western world. A further Kursk unit is under construction. 4 small graphite-moderated BWR reactors in eastern Siberia, constructed in the 1970s for cogeneration (EGP-6 models on linked map). One BN-600 fast-breeder reactor.

Generally, Russian reactors are licensed for 30 years from first power. Late in 2000, plans were announced for lifetime extensions of twelve first-generation reactors* totalling 5.7 GWe, and the extension period envisaged is now 15 to 25 years, necessitating major investment in refurbishing them. Generally the VVER-440 and RBMK units will get 15-year life extensions and the nine VVER-1000 units 25 years.  To 2010, 15-year extensions had been achieved for Novovoronezh-3 & 4, Kursk-1 & 2, Kola-1 & 2 and Leningrad-1-3.  Bilibino 1-4 have also been given 15-year licence extensions.  (Kola 1 & 2 VVER-440 and the Kursk and Leningrad RBMK units are all models which the EU has paid to shut down early in countries outside Russia.)

n 2010, life extensions were announced for Leningrad 4, Smolensk 1, Kola 3 and Beloyarsk 3 (all 15 years), and Novovoronezh 5 (25 years).  Leningrad 4 is undergoing an RUR 17 billion refurbishment, including replacement of generator stator.

“Farmers must not be disempowered labourers on their own land,” – UN right to food expert [24 October 2011] New York – “For too long farmers have been forced to eke out a living from subsistence agriculture or, once they've fallen in debt, to cede their land and labour to work in exploitative conditions on plantations. Our failure to help small-scale farmers to access markets – and to live decently from farming – is a key cause of hunger,”

The Russian energy strategy of 2003 set a policy priority for reduction in natural gas based power supply, aiming to achieve this through a doubling of nuclear power generation by 2020. In 2006 the Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) announced targets for future nuclear power generation; providing 23% of electricity needs by 2020 and 25% by 2030.[1]

Russia has made plans to increase the number of reactors in operation from 31 to 59. Old reactors will be maintained and upgraded, including RBMK units similar to the reactors at Chernobyl. China and Russia agreed on further cooperation in the construction of nuclear power stations in October 2005.

The Russian government plans to allocate 127 billion rubles ($5.42 billion) to a federal program dedicated to the next generation of nuclear energy technology. About 1 trillion rubles ($42.7 billion) is to be allocated from the federal budget to nuclear power and industry development before 2015.[1]