Russia has lodged formal protest with Israel following its reported strikes near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, angrily warning that the attacks directly endangered Russian personnel on the ground.
Israeli and Russian media have confirmed that Moscow issued a sharp condemnation and warnings of a red line after Israeli forces reportedly hit the grounds of the nuclear power plant where Russian specialists are stationed.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had also earlier provided independent verification that a missile struck the Bushehr complex on Tuesday evening, although no damage to the plant or injuries to staff were reported.
The Kremlin made clear to Israel that Russian nationals working in and around the facility were put at risk. Russian state media described the communication delivered to Israel via the Russian embassy “official demands” – which indicates a formal escalation in diplomatic pressure.
Even more provocative is that reports indicate Israeli strikes may have directly targeted residential quarters housing a Russian nuclear expert.
According to TASS: “Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev specified that the strike had hit the area near the office of the facility’s meteorological service, in close proximity to an operating power unit, at 3:11 p.m. GMT on March 17.” It was the first such known strike on an Iranian nuclear plant since Trump’s Operation Epic Fury began.
The Rosatom chief has indicated that several rounds of personnel evaluation from the Bushehr NPP are underway. There were many hundreds of Russian scientists, personnel, and technicians at the site. He indicated about 480 Russian nationals remain at the site.
“Attacks on nuclear facilities blatantly violate the key rules and principles of international security,” Likhachev emphasized.
Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has also urged “maximum restraint” during the conflict in order to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident. Just like war in Ukraine has threatened nuclear power sites, so has the Iran conflict raised concerns over nuclear fallout and radiation – in the instance of a strike leading to major accident.
