Russia on June 18 warned the world is "millimetres away from disaster" attributable to Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, simply 4 months after one among its personal drones struck the Chornobyl nuclear web site in Ukraine.

Russian International Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Israel of escalating the danger of a nuclear incident within the Center East, regardless of Russia's personal report of repeatedly each inserting nuclear amenities throughout its full-scale invasion, and threatening the usage of nuclear weapons.

On Feb. 14, Russian forces struck the Chornobyl nuclear facility with a Shahed drone, hitting the protecting sarcophagus that encases Reactor No. 4, web site of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe.

Injury was restricted, and no radiation leakage occurred, however the act was extensively condemned as a deliberate provocation timed to coincide with the Munich Safety Convention.

President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to as the assault on the Chornobyl plant "a terrorist menace to the entire world." Ukrainian officers and nuclear safety specialists mentioned the strike was unlikely to trigger important radioactive contamination however served as a warning of Russia's willingness to weaponize concern of nuclear catastrophe.

Russia has additionally intensified strikes close to different nuclear amenities in Ukraine, together with infrastructure related to the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Energy Plant, which Moscow's forces have used as a navy base since early within the struggle.

Analysts view the assaults as a part of a broader marketing campaign of intimidation aimed toward pressuring Kyiv and its allies right into a settlement.

Zakharova's feedback observe rising worldwide concern over the rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Russia has positioned itself as a possible mediator within the battle, although European leaders have dismissed the Kremlin's neutrality attributable to its deepening navy ties with Tehran and ongoing aggression in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin "can’t be trusted" to mediate peace within the Center East whereas launching mass strikes on Ukrainian cities, EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned on June 17. Her remarks got here after a Russian missile assault killed no less than 28 civilians in Kyiv and injured over 130.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned Israel has thus far rejected Moscow's mediation provide. U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned over the weekend that Putin had expressed willingness to assist mediate.

Russia continues to obtain navy assist from Iran, together with drones and missiles utilized in assaults throughout Ukraine.

Tired of military aid delays, Ukraine has designed its own ballistic missile — and it’s already in mass-productionUkraine announced on June 13 that its short-range Sapsan ballistic missile would go into mass production, a major development in Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to domestically produce the weapons it needs to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion. As Ukraine faces growing challenges in securing weapons from Western partners, and Russia continues launchingThe Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk