Russia’s nuclear exports have surged since the invasion of Ukraine, boosting the Kremlin’s revenue and cementing its influence over a new generation of global buyers, as the US and its allies shy away from sanctioning the industry.

Trade data compiled by the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), a defence and security think-tank, shows that Russian nuclear fuel and technology sales abroad rose more than 20% in 2022.

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which has a monopoly over the Russian nuclear industry, has continued exports of nuclear fuel and other goods relevant to the nuclear energy sector.

According to Russian customs data, sourced through a third-party commercial trade data provider, Russia has exported just over $1bn-worth of nuclear energy-related goods and materials since the start of the war in Ukraine.