MOSCOW, Oct. 8 - Russia and Ukraine plan to form a commercial uranium enrichment joint venture, Sergei Kiriyenko, the chief of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, told reporters.

"There are understandings and we are working on the formation of a joint venture to enrich uranium as a commercial enterprise," Kiriyenko said.

Nuclear plants generate around half of Ukraine's electricity. "Such a major producer of electricity at nuclear plants has to have guaranteed access to uranium enrichment services," Kiriyenko said.