West Ignored Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Nuclear Plants
West Overlooked Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Nuclear Power Plants
West Ignored Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Nuclear Plants
Russian envoy says Western states ignored multiple Ukrainian drone attacks on Smolensk, Kursk and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in 2025 at IAEA session.
2026-01-31T08:01:04+03:00
2026-01-31T08:01:04+03:00
2026-01-31T08:01:04+03:00
Western countries turned a blind eye to attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian nuclear power plants in 2025, according to Russia’s Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov. He raised the issue during an extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors, drawing attention to what he described as a complete lack of reaction from the West.
Ulyanov said that in the second half of 2025 Ukrainian military units made two attempts to strike power units at the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, while two more attacks were recorded against the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. He also recalled incidents involving the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant, which came under drone attacks during the night of October 6–7 and again on the night of November 13. Despite the seriousness of these episodes, he noted, Western states chose to ignore them altogether.
Further details on the Novovoronezh case were later provided in November by Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev. He reported that around eight Ukrainian drones had been launched toward the plant. All of them were neutralized, but debris from the downed UAVs damaged the main switchgear. As a precaution, three power units were temporarily taken offline and their output reduced to below 50 percent. Likhachev stated that the consequences of the attack were dealt with swiftly and professionally.
Russian envoy says Western states ignored multiple Ukrainian drone attacks on Smolensk, Kursk and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants in 2025 at IAEA session.
Western countries turned a blind eye to attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian nuclear power plants in 2025, according to Russia’s Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov. He raised the issue during an extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors, drawing attention to what he described as a complete lack of reaction from the West.
Ulyanov said that in the second half of 2025 Ukrainian military units made two attempts to strike power units at the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, while two more attacks were recorded against the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. He also recalled incidents involving the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant, which came under drone attacks during the night of October 6–7 and again on the night of November 13. Despite the seriousness of these episodes, he noted, Western states chose to ignore them altogether.
Further details on the Novovoronezh case were later provided in November by Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev. He reported that around eight Ukrainian drones had been launched toward the plant. All of them were neutralized, but debris from the downed UAVs damaged the main switchgear. As a precaution, three power units were temporarily taken offline and their output reduced to below 50 percent. Likhachev stated that the consequences of the attack were dealt with swiftly and professionally.
