As to who owns Ukraine, you are also incorrect.
You are simply irked by Realpolitik.
You are emotionally invested.
On the ownership of the plant... And other Ukrainian assets.
1. Crimea: Transferred willingly to the UkrSSR with the approval of the Supreme Soviet. Here’s a translation of the archived minutes.
http://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/119638
Note: “The transfer of Crimea to the Ukrainian SSR, considering the commonality of economic development, the territorial proximity, and the growing economic and cultural ties between the Ukrainian Republic and the Crimean Oblast’ is completely advisable and is a very great friendly act demonstrating the unlimited trust and love of the Russian people for the Ukrainian people”
Yep, nothing screams “trust and love” like taking a gift back off the recipient - by force - 58 years after giving it.
It also demonstrates that the USSR in Moscow didn’t “own” the Ukrainian SSR otherwise the gesture would’ve been a complete nonsense! Obviously you can’t gift something to someone without transferring ownership of it - if all you’re doing is loaning it, then it’s not a gift is it... Mariner.
2. Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant: see https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/zaporizhzhya-nuclear-power-plant/. Construction of the first section started in 1979. The next 4 sections came in between 1986 and 1989. The sixth went online in 1995 - some years after independence.
The article confirms a few things that are then easy to research.
- Westinghouse Electric is currently the fuel supplier for 2/3 of the complex, a Russian PRIVATE firm supplies the other third. The Russian Federation doesn’t own ANY of this stuff; it’s all privately owned.
- Izhorskiye Zavody, which built the plant machinery in the 80s, is now not just privately owned but has changed hands several times. It’s currently part of OMZ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Heavy_Machinery). Yet again, this is not the USSR, and privately owned businesses that have traded shares are NOT Soviet state owned assets.
- Russian companies don’t supply any more than 1/3 of the fuel at the NPP
- 1/6th of the NPP was NEVER owned by the USSR and has never been Russian property. Ever. Not even through shares.
So, the Russian occupation of the Zaporizhzhya plant is straight-up state sponsored THEFT. The entire city is a collection of privately owned assets, and even the firms connected to the construction of the plant are now all private businesses so Russia can’t even play THAT bullshit card.