Ukraine rejects Russia’s claims of ‘dirty bomb’ provocation
- Russia’s defence chief alleged that Ukraine was preparing a ‘provocation’ involving a radioactive device
- The US, Britain and France jointly warned Moscow against using any pretext for escalating the conflict
Kyiv denounced as dangerous lies suggestions from Russia that Ukraine was preparing to use a “dirty bomb” as a dramatic escalation in their eight-month-old war.
Ukraine’s western allies also dismissed the allegations from Moscow, just hours after Russia went public with the startling claims on Sunday.
In conversations with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu conveyed “concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty bomb’”, Moscow said, referring to a weapon that uses traditional explosives to scatter radioactive material.
Shoigu also spoke to Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, but Moscow did not mention the dirty bomb allegations in its statement summarising that call.
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted swiftly, calling for a united international response.
“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this,” Zelensky said in a video address on social media.
