Russia is trying to force Ukraine to buy electricity from its own nuclear power plant after capturing it by force

• Russia wants Ukraine to buy electricity from its own nuclear power plant that Russia captured during the war.
• "If Ukraine is ready to accept and pay, it will work for them. If they don't accept, it will work for Russia," Russia's deputy prime minister, Marat Khusnullin, said.

Russia is trying to get Ukraine to buy electricity from its own nuclear power plant after Russia captured it during its invasion of the country, according to a bulletin posted by Interfax.

"If Ukraine is ready to accept and pay, it will work for them. If they don't accept, it will work for Russia," Russia's deputy prime minister, Marat Khusnullin, said.

Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine on February 24 when it first invaded the country.

"Nuclear power is one of the cheapest types, absolutely competitive. There will be no questions about where to sell electricity," Khusnullin told reporters.

He added that the nuclear power plant "will work, all jobs have been saved."

Khusnullin added that he has "no doubt" the plant will remain operational under Russian control, The Guardian reported.

"We have a lot of experience of working with nuclear power plants, we have companies in Russia that have this experience," he said.

Ukraine's nuclear agency, Energoatom, said Russians "do not have the technical capacity to supply energy from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to Russia or Crimea," per The Guardian.

Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko announced the news on Twitter, saying that Russia is illegally occupying the plant.

—Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) May 18, 2022

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.