The US nuclear power industry continues to rely heavily on enriched uranium supplied by Russia, Bloomberg reports. The fuel is used in reactors that generate roughly one-fifth of all electricity produced in the United States.

This dependence is complicating Washington’s goal of completely ending purchases of Russian nuclear fuel by 2028.

According to the US Energy Information Administration’s uranium marketing report, American nuclear plant operators bought around 3.28 million separative work units, or SWU, from Russia last year. Russian material accounted for nearly 26% of all enrichment services purchased.

Foreign suppliers as a whole provided 77% of the uranium enrichment services used in the United States in 2025. Russia was the largest individual source.

A bill introduced in the United States in mid-July would require the president to secure a complete halt to imports of Russian uranium, including products supplied by Rosatom. It also calls for sanctions to be imposed regularly on executives of the state corporation.

Washington formally banned imports of Russian uranium in May 2024. However, US companies were allowed to seek temporary waivers through 2028 when no suitable replacement for Russian fuel was available.

Moscow also restricted uranium exports to the United States but permitted deliveries under individual licenses. As a result, trade continued through previously approved exemptions.