India Condemns Drone Strike Near UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Plant, Calls It “Dangerous Escalation”

India on Monday condemned a drone strike targeting the Barakah nuclear power facility in the United Arab Emirates, warning that the incident marked a “dangerous escalation” and urging all sides to exercise restraint and return to diplomatic engagement.

“India is deeply concerned at the attack targeting the Barakah nuclear facility in the UAE. Such actions are unacceptable and represent a dangerous escalation,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, calling for “an immediate return to dialogue and diplomacy.”

The response followed confirmation from the UAE that a drone had struck an electricity generator located outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra region. Authorities said the facility itself was not damaged.

Abu Dhabi condemned the incident as a “terrorist attack,” underscoring that critical infrastructure had been deliberately targeted. The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strike constituted “an unacceptable act of aggression” and a direct threat to national security.

The ministry warned that attacks on peaceful nuclear energy facilities violate international law, including the United Nations Charter and humanitarian principles, given the potential risks to civilian populations, the environment and broader regional stability.

It also pointed to international frameworks governing nuclear safety, including standards set by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which emphasise the need to protect civilian nuclear infrastructure from military or hostile actions.

The UAE said it would not tolerate threats to its sovereignty and reserved the right to respond through “all legitimate diplomatic and military means” to safeguard its territory and population, in line with international law.

The government reiterated that targeting civilian and vital infrastructure is unequivocally prohibited, calling for an immediate halt to such attacks and adherence to commitments aimed at preventing further escalation.

The incident marks a rare strike involving the Barakah facility, the Arabian Peninsula’s first operational nuclear power plant. Built at an estimated cost of $20 billion in collaboration with South Korean partners, the plant began operations in 2020 and remains central to the UAE’s long-term energy strategy.

Analysts say the episode reflects a broader and increasingly concerning pattern of nuclear-linked infrastructure being drawn into active conflict environments. That trend intensified during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when multiple nuclear sites came under threat.

Similar concerns have surfaced in the ongoing Iran conflict, where Tehran has repeatedly alleged attacks on its Bushehr nuclear power plant. While those incidents did not result in structural damage or any radiological release, they heightened fears around the vulnerability of such facilities in conflict zones.

The latest strike near Barakah, though limited in immediate impact, is likely to sharpen global attention on the risks of escalation involving critical nuclear infrastructure in an already volatile region.

(With inputs from ANI)