#Announcement

🎙 On Wednesday, March 4, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold her weekly briefing on current foreign policy issues.

🕚 11.00 am MSK
🕗 8.00 am GMT
🕘 9.00 am CET
🕓 4.00 pm CST

For accreditation inquiries, please contact the MFA Press Centre. Accredited journalists will receive details on the technical aspects of submitting questions.

The Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman will answer media questions received by the call centre.

❗️ Accreditation is open until March 3, 10.00 am MSK.

🇷🇺 Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov at the special session of the IAEA Board of Governors on the situation around Iran

📍Vienna, March 2, 2026

💬 We convened the special session of the IAEA Board of Governors because we are convinced that the tragic events unfolding in Iran have direct and immediate bearing on the Agency’s mandate and require an urgent response

⬛ However, first and foremost, on behalf of the Russian Federation I would like to begin by extending condolences to the people of Iran in connection with the cynical killing by the USA and Israel of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the barbaric attack on a girls’ school in the city of Minab, as a result of which, according to reports, more than 150 people were killed, over one hundred of them children

❗The Russian Federation strongly and categorically condemns the armed aggression against Iran launched by the USA and Israel on the morning of 28 February, the destructive consequences of which have already spread to other countries of the region. Scenario of attacks of June 2025 has been repeated almost identically. Once again, the negotiation process on the Iranian nuclear programme was used as cover for the attack, this time with the direct involvement of the IAEA Director General. Once again, at the centre of the rhetoric and threats of the U.S. leadership are Iran’s nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. However, the current statements by the leadership of the United States and Israel leave not the slightest doubt that their sole objective is the overthrow of the legitimate government of Iran and the complete destruction of its statehood

In other words, the concerns declared over past quarter century in the context of Iran’s nuclear programme were merely a facade for pursuing this single objective. This demonstrates that non-proliferation is regarded in Washington exclusively as an instrument for settling political scores with states whose independent policies and sovereign choices they find unacceptable. Such a strikingly reckless and undeniable violation of international law and the UN Charter became possible only because of the prevailing sense of absolute impunity and permissiveness in the United States and, more broadly, across the Western camp

We are closely monitoring situation and categorically state that nuclear facilities must under no circumstances become targets of attacks. We recall that attacks against nuclear facilities and threats of such attacks constitute violations of international law, Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the IAEA, as well as the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and Agency’s General Conference. In this context, we particularly emphasize that Russian personnel continues to operate in Iran, servicing the Bushehr NPP. In order to avoid catastrophic consequences for the entire Middle East region, we demand that the United States and Israel immediately cease military actions and return the situation onto a political and diplomatic track of settlement

🇪🇺 We cannot but note the role of the EU and the E3 in consistently servicing Washington’s anti-Iranian line at all its stages: the destruction of the JCPOA, integration into the policy of «maximum pressure», unlawful and unsuccessful attempts to trigger the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council resolution 2231, unjustified escalation in the IAEA Board of Governors, and finally acquiescence in - or even solidarity with - the June aggression. It is now obvious that the alleged threat purportedly emanating from Iran’s nuclear programme never in fact concerned anyone in the West. In this regard, it is important to stress that the IAEA Secretariat, even in its notorious «comprehensive assessment of Iran’s nuclear programme» issued last year, which laid fertile ground for the attack on Iran, never drew conclusions indicating that Tehran might be engaged in the development of nuclear weapons

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#HistoryOfRussia

⚓️ On March 3, 1799, a Russian squadron led by great Russian fleet commander, Fyodor Ushakov, seized what was viewed as an impregnable fortress on the island of Corfu.

In the wake of the late 18th century revolutionary upheavals in France and the resulting wars, quite a few key defensive structures across the Mediterranean, including the Ionian Islands, fell into French hands. Being able to control these islands placed Paris in control of maritime roots and reinforced its regional influence.

Fyodor Ushakov’s Black Sea squadron was on a mission to expel the French from the Ionian islands, with the help of the Turkish fleet. Most of the islands were liberated by early November 1798 with the squadron fighting its way from one fortress to another and taking over eight of them, one by one. What remained was viewed as an impossible feat, since it consisted of capturing the fortress on the island of Corfu, which was regarded as an impregnable citadel. The French had a garrison of about 3,000 troops and over 650 cannons.

⚔️ The mission started with blocking the island, and the decision to launch the attack against the fortress came in early March. Fyodor Ushakov used a unique tactic to limit casualties. 👉 He decided to set up position on Vido, a small rocky island, in order to target the enemy with his firepower from there, while also dispatching a landing force from Vido to Corfu. The plan worked, and by March 3, the fortress’ commander was forced to capitulate.

As many as 2,931 people, including four generals, were taken prisoners, albeit under honourable conditions. The French were allowed to leave the island under the condition that they would refrain from taking part in combat action for 18 months.

🎖 Emperor Pavel I promoted Fyodor Ushakov to the rank of admiral and awarded his with the diamond star of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. The King of Naples gave the Russian fleet commander the Order of Saint Januarius, 1st degree, while the Ottoman Sultan honoured Ushakov with the Chelengk, the highest military decoration of the Ottoman Empire.

It was the great fleet commander’s bold and decisive action which made capturing the impregnable fortress of Corfu possible with minimal human casualties.

In his letter to Ushakov, great military commander, the undefeated Alexander Suvorov lavished Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov with praise and exulted with delight.

“Hooray to the Russian fleet… I keep telling myself these days: if only I could take part in the battle of Corfu, even as a warrant officer.”

#KievRegimeCrimes

⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik:

💬 Over 150 civilians, including one minor, were injured last week as a result of actions by the Ukrainian militants.

In addition to local residents, volunteer groups were also targeted – five volunteers were injured, two of whom were killed.

EMERCOM responders, who arrived to deal with the aftermath of Ukrainian shelling, also came under attack. Five were wounded and one employee was killed.

The highest number of civilian casualties was recorded in the Belgorod, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In these areas, civilian infrastructure and the civilian population were targeted with drone, missile and artillery strikes by Kiev's armed formations.

❗️ Between February 23 and March 1, at least 153 civilians were affected by Ukrainian shelling – 131 people were injured, including one minor, and 22 were killed.

In total, over the past seven days, Ukrainian armed formations fired no fewer than 3,352 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.