With the Iran nuclear crisis, do not forget about the war in Ukraine
The Nuclear Dimension of the War in Ukraine: 101
These days, global attention is captured by the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States over Iran’s nuclear program. However, we should not forget about the ongoing war in Ukraine with its own nuclear dimension.
The war in Ukraine has introduced a new dimension to the understanding of nuclear risks in modern warfare, revealing critical gaps in international protections for nuclear facilities during armed conflict. This unprecedented situation—the first major war fought in a country with extensive nuclear infrastructure—has exposed the inadequacy of existing legal and security frameworks designed primarily for peacetime operations or non-state threats. The nuclear safety and security impacts of this war represent uncharted territory in international relations, challenging existing legal frameworks and creating precedents that could influence future conflicts worldwide. The most immediate lesson is that nuclear facilities, despite their critical importance, are not immune to military targeting when states prioritize strategic objectives over international norms.
The human dimension of this crisis—from trapped workers at Chernobyl to the coercion and intimidation of ZNPP personnel—underscores how nuclear safety ultimately depends on qualified, willing staff operating under normal conditions. The psychological and physical pressures on nuclear workers during occupation create additional accident risks that existing safety and security protocols could not have anticipated.
The IAEA’s role, while valuable for monitoring and deterrence, highlights the limitations of international institutions when confronting state-level aggression. The Agency’s technical expertise and diplomatic neutrality provide essential oversight, but its lack of enforcement authority reveals a gap between monitoring capabilities and its preventive power.
The international community must urgently address the legal, technical, and institutional gaps this war has revealed. This includes strengthening international humanitarian law protections for nuclear facilities, developing new security frameworks that account for state-level threats, and enhancing international response mechanisms that can prevent nuclear facilities from becoming pawns in military conflicts.
My paper for The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies reviews the basics of the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on nuclear security and safety. Read the full paper here.