Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Pakistan Airspace Denial Delays Russian Fuel for Rooppur
Bangladesh is building its first nuclear power plant at Rooppur.
The plant needs nuclear fuel to operate its second reactor unit.
Russia was sending the first batch of that fuel by cargo plane.
The shipment was supposed to arrive on September 24.
The plane did not receive permission to fly through Pakistani airspace, so the delivery was delayed.
Pakistan said the problem involved technical and procedural arrangements, rather than giving the issue broader significance.
Russia plans to use an alternative route and expects the shipment to arrive in the first week of October.
More fuel shipments are planned through December.
The Rooppur plant will have two reactors designed to produce 2,400 megawatts of electricity.
Pakistan did not grant airspace clearance to a Russian cargo flight carrying uranium for Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The shipment was the first batch of nuclear fuel for Rooppur’s Unit-2 and was scheduled to arrive on September 24.
Pakistan’s High Commission described the matter as involving technical and procedural arrangements for flight routing and airspace permissions.
Russia proposed an alternative schedule, with the shipment expected to reach Bangladesh in the first week of October.
Rosatom said the remaining Unit-2 fuel would arrive in seven cargo flights from October through December.
- Who
- Bangladesh, Russia, Pakistan, Rosatom, and Bangladesh’s Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam are mentioned in connection with the delayed shipment.
- What
- A Russian cargo flight carrying uranium fuel for Unit-2 of Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was delayed after it did not receive Pakistani airspace clearance.
- When
- The shipment was scheduled to arrive on September 24, with a revised arrival expected in the first week of October; remaining deliveries are planned through December.
- Where
- The shipment was headed to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna district, Bangladesh, and its planned route crossed Pakistani airspace.
- Why
- Pakistan cited technical and procedural arrangements concerning flight routing and airspace permissions; Bangladesh confirmed that the shipment could not arrive as planned.
Pakistan’s Technical Explanation
Bangladesh’s Shipment Delay
Reason for the missed delivery
Pakistan’s Technical Explanation
Pakistan’s High Commission said the matter concerned technical and procedural arrangements, established clearance procedures, and flight-routing coordination.
Bangladesh’s Shipment Delay
Bangladesh confirmed that the shipment could not reach the country as scheduled because the Russian flight did not receive permission to use Pakistani airspace.
Significance of the incident
Pakistan’s Technical Explanation
Pakistan urged that no undue significance be attached to reports about the issue and said it should be viewed only in a technical context.
Bangladesh’s Shipment Delay
The delay created an unexpected hurdle for Bangladesh’s effort to bring its first nuclear power facility online, although Russia planned alternative routing and further deliveries.
- Project
- Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
- Countries involved
- Bangladesh, Russia, and Pakistan
- Shipment
- First batch of nuclear fuel for Unit-2
- Scheduled arrival
- September 24
- Revised expectation
- First week of October
- Pakistan’s explanation
- Technical and procedural arrangements involving routing and airspace permissions
- Remaining deliveries
- Seven cargo flights planned from October through December
- Plant capacity
- Two VVER-1200 reactors expected to generate 2,400 megawatts
