Russia claimed on Monday that Ukraine had entered “the final stage” of manufacturing its “dirty bomb”, a claim that Moscow has been brandishing since Sunday and which is firmly rejected by kyiv. Moscow’s allegations against kyiv that Ukraine would like to use a “dirty bomb” are “false”, for their part castigated Paris, London and Washington, in a joint statement released on Monday. 20 Minutes returns to this new escalation of tensions between Moscow and kyiv and the underside of this “dirty bomb”, which is “a” weapon of mass disruption “which aims mainly to contaminate and scare”, according to the American Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC)
When did these accusations of “dirty bomb” date back?
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke on the phone with his American, French, British and Turkish counterparts on Sunday about the conflict in Ukraine. During these exchanges of unprecedented intensity, Sergei Shoigu informed most of his interlocutors of “his concerns linked to possible provocations on the part of Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty bomb'”, according to his ministry.
“Radioactive substances from nuclear fuel storage facilities used in the nuclear power plant [ukrainienne] Chernobyl can be used” to make a dirty bomb, Russian General Igor Kirillov, in charge of radioactive substances, chemical and biological products, argued in a statement on Monday.
This Monday, Moscow reiterated its accusations, adding that Ukraine had entered “in the final phase” of the manufacture of its “dirty bomb”. “According to the information we have, two Ukrainian organizations have specific instructions for making the so-called ‘dirty bomb’. Their work has entered the final stage, ”said Igor Kirillov. According to him, “the purpose of this provocation is to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine and thus launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world”, considering that kyiv wanted in particular to “intimidate the local population and increase the flow of refugees through Europe”.
What is the “dirty bomb”?
The “dirty bomb” that Moscow accuses Ukraine of wanting to explode on its own soil is not a nuclear bomb but a conventional bomb surrounded by radioactive materials intended to be disseminated in the form of dust at the time of the explosion. The term “dirty bomb”, also called “radiological dispersal device” (RDD), more generally refers to any detonating device that disseminates one or more chemically or biologically toxic products (NRBC – nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical).
This type of bomb is not considered an atomic weapon, the explosion of which results from nuclear fission (A-bomb) or fusion (H-bomb) and causes immense destruction in a wide radius. The radioactive materials needed to manufacture such an explosive device are used in hospitals, research establishments, industrial or military sites. In March 2016, the terrorist cell responsible for the Brussels bombings had planned the manufacture of a radioactive “dirty bomb” after video surveillance by two of the suicide bombers of a Belgian “nuclear expert”.
What is the “objective” of the “dirty bomb”?
The manufacture of an atomic bomb requires the use of complex uranium enrichment technologies. Much less complex to make, the “dirty bomb” uses a conventional explosive, and its main purpose is to contaminate a geographical area and the people who are there both by direct radiation and by ingestion or inhalation of radioactive materials.
“A dirty bomb is not a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ but a ‘weapon of mass disruption’ which aims primarily to contaminate and scare,” sums up the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC). Thus, the main danger of a “dirty bomb” comes from the explosion and not from the radiation. Only people very close to the blast site would be exposed to radiation sufficient to cause immediate serious illness. However, radioactive dust and smoke can travel further and pose a health hazard if the dust is inhaled or contaminated food or water is ingested.
What did Kiev say?
“Russian fabrications about Ukraine preparing to use a ‘dirty bomb’ are as absurd as they are dangerous,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba immediately reacted on social media on Sunday. Dmytro Kouleba exchanged with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, on this subject and assured that he had “officially invited the IAEA to urgently send experts to peaceful installations in Ukraine”, these structures where Russia “misleadingly claims” that Ukraine is developing a “dirty bomb” there.
“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is preparing something, it means only one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I believe that now the world must react as harshly as possible,” for his part lambasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. If Russia has prepared “a new stage in the escalation, it must see now, preventively and before one of its new ‘dirts’, that the world will not accept it”, he added.
What are the reactions internationally?
On Sunday, the United States rejected “the clearly false allegations of Minister Shoigu”, through the voice of the White House, the latter warning that “the world would not be fooled in the event of an attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for an escalation”. For its part, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces confirmed in a press release that Sergei Shoigu had said he feared a “dirty bomb strike by the Ukrainians on their territory, to blame Russia”. French Minister Sébastien Lecornu reminded him that “France [refusait] any form of escalation, particularly nuclear”.
“No one would be fooled” if Moscow escalated the conflict in Ukraine on the pretext of kyiv’s use of a “dirty bomb” mentioned by the Russian government, Paris, London and Washington once again affirmed on Monday. “We remain determined to continue our support for Ukraine’s efforts to defend its territory for as long as necessary,” the three capitals added in their joint statement.
Ukrainians and Westerners alike see Moscow’s claims as threatening preparations for a false flag attack, suspecting Russia is ready to detonate a “dirty bomb” itself to justify military escalation, for example by employing a tactical nuclear weapon in retaliation.
Source: 20minutes
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
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