MEZIESBLOG

Russia on Wednesday said Ukraine launched drone attacks on an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) vehicle, while Ukraine earlier pinned the blame on Russian forces.

One of the vehicles of an IAEA team heading to Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for a planned staff rotation was severely damaged in the attacks on Tuesday, with staff members unharmed, according to the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned the attack as “absolutely unacceptable.”

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday Moscow strongly condemns “the provocative and reckless actions of the Kiev regime,” which pose threats to nuclear facilities and human lives.

The ministry called on the United States, Britain and their allies to stop support for the Kiev regime and hold those responsible for the provocation accountable.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram Tuesday that “a Russian FPV drone attacked a convoy of the IAEA,” adding that the deliberate attack demonstrated Moscow’s disregard for international law and safety. 

The IAEA driver and a security officer, who were in the vehicle at the time of the drone attack, were unharmed. The incident happened at 14:05 local time on Tuesday about 8 kilometres from the front-line, within Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Grossi Nobel speech

On Wednesday, Grossi delivered a speech during the Nobel Peace Prize Forum 2024, a prize which this year went to Nihon Hidankyō and the hibakusha, survivors of the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs, recognising their efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

He warned that the “world has come to a crucial crossroads – our deep psychological connection caused by collectively seeing the horror of the consequences of nuclear war seems to be evaporating, taking with it our joint resolve to do everything possible to prevent a repetition”.

“War has returned to Europe, and it directly involves a nuclear weapon state. The conflict in Ukraine is also an indirect confrontation between the world’s biggest nuclear weapon states, the first since the end of the Cold War. But nuclear exercises and open references to the use of nuclear weapons in the theatre of this war are increasing the risks and cannot be ignored,” he said.

He also referred to tensions between Israel and Iran – “on one side, the assumed presence of nuclear weapons looms in the background. On the other, the very real potential of nuclear proliferation is raising the stakes”.

“We find ourselves in a harmful loop: the erosion of the restraints around nuclear weapons is making these conflicts more dangerous. Meanwhile, these conflicts are contributing to the erosion of the restraints. The vicious circle dynamic is in motion.

“Doctrines regarding the use of nuclear weapons are being revised or reinterpreted. The quantity and quality of nuclear weapon stockpiles are being increased. And in some non-nuclear weapon states – states that are important in their region – leaders are asking “why not us?”

He said that a return to diplomacy and dialogue was needed, citing the examples of US Presidents Kennedy, Reagan and Trump as well as Soviet Union leaders Khrushchev and Gorbachev as having reached out to a nuclear-armed adversary.

Following the start of the Russian-Ukraine war, and the situation of having a nuclear power plant in the middle of a combat zone, “observing this from the outside was never, in my mind, an option”.

“Staying on the sidelines and later reflecting on ‘lessons learned’ may have been the more traditional – or expected – path for an international organisation. But to me this would have been a dereliction of duty. So, we leaned into our core mission, crossed the front lines of war, and established a permanent presence of IAEA experts at all Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. That makes us the only international organisation operating independently in occupied territory. We are informing the world of what’s going on and reducing the chance that a radiological incident enflames the conflict and causes even more devastation,” he said, adding that he was in constant communication with both sides.

Together with various other ‘hotspots’ and tensions, he said the world has “to make a new path”, with leaders recognising “the need for responsible management of their nuclear arsenals” and an “iron-clad resolve to observe and strengthen the global non-proliferation regime” was needed.

“We need to walk through perilous times by recognising limitations and keeping our eyes on our common objectives. Nuclear disarmament cannot be imposed on the nuclear armed. Realism is not defeatism. Diplomacy is not weakness. Difficult times call for enlightened leadership, at the national level, and at the international level as well. Putting the international system back on track is within our reach,” Grossi added.