Moscow and Kyiv react as Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear sites and military command
In the early hours of June 13, Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran, hitting nuclear sites and killing top Iranian military officials. In the aftermath, Russia — whose military-industrial ties with Iran have deepened in recent years and which is a major buyer of Iranian Shahed drones for its war in Ukraine — condemned the strikes in strong terms, while Ukraine struck a more measured tone, warning of broader risks to global security. Here’s what the foreign ministries of both countries had to say.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a sharp rebuke of Israel on Friday, condemning the country’s June 13 airstrikes on Iranian territory. In a statement, the ministry called the strikes “unprovoked” and “categorically unacceptable,” accusing Israel of violating international law and threatening global stability.
“Unprovoked military strikes against a sovereign U.N. member state — its citizens, its peaceful sleeping cities, and its nuclear energy infrastructure — are categorically unacceptable,” the Foreign Ministry said. “The international community cannot remain indifferent to such acts of violence.”
The statement comes as Russia continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including frequent missile and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in cities far from the front line.
The ministry expressed “deep concern” over what it described as a “dangerous escalation of tensions in the Middle East.” “We have repeatedly warned of the dangers of military adventurism,” it said, adding that “responsibility for the consequences of this provocation will rest squarely with the Israeli leadership.”
It also accused Israel of undermining fragile diplomatic efforts to “ease tensions and address suspicions and biases surrounding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.” The strikes, the ministry noted, coincided with a session of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors and came just ahead of a planned new round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States — “making this episode especially cynical.”
The Foreign Ministry also blamed Western countries, accusing them of fueling “anti-Iranian hysteria” and of pushing a “politically motivated” resolution through the IAEA without broad support.
Moscow, which has recently sought to position itself as a mediator in the region, reiterated that there is “no military solution” to the Iranian nuclear issue. “We remain firmly convinced that […] these challenges must be resolved solely through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means,” the statement read. The ministry called for “restraint” to “avoid further escalation that could push the region toward full-scale war.”
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Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also weighed in on the Israeli strikes, expressing concern over the risk of further destabilization in the Middle East and warning of potential harm to international security and the global economy. The ministry said it was “essential to avoid further destabilization of the region and prevent civilian casualties.”
The statement also pointed to Iran’s role in supporting Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The ministry said the Iranian regime “supports Russia in its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and provides Moscow with weapons to kill Ukrainians,” and described Tehran as “the source of numerous problems in the Middle East and beyond.” It added that restoring peace in the region would serve the interests of the entire international community, stressing that “security in Europe and the Middle East are directly linked.”
Ukraine called for a unified global response, urging the international community to take “joint and decisive actions” to address “today’s security threats and coordinately deter a group of aggressive regimes — Russia, Iran, and North Korea.”
