These investigations are carried out at the express request of Ukraine, accused by Moscow of preparing a radiological weapon in the greatest secrecy.
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Top start for a sensitive mission. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday October 31 that its teams had begun, at the request of Ukraine, new inspections in this country which Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused of erasing evidence. preparing a “dirty bomb” – a term that generally refers to an explosive device containing diverted radioactive materials.
Two Ukrainian sites are thus concerned, said the IAEA on Twitter, without specifying either the nature or the location of these points of interest. The results of this investigation are awaited. “later in the week” and will be communicated by the agency’s director general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA said in its press release.
Since October 23, when Russia began issuing these “dirty bomb” accusations, Ukraine and its allies have been crying lies and blackmail. “No one would be fooled” if Moscow used this argument for an escalation of the conflict, reacted for example Washington, Paris and London, in a joint statement. India and China have chosen not to react to alerts from Russia, which claims to have sent them its “evidence” file.
On Monday, October 31, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in turn strongly rejected Russia’s accusations. After speaking with his Ukrainian counterpart for two hours by telephone, President Zelensky, Olaf Scholz declared that he had confidence in the IAEA, believing that its ongoing inspections will help to dispel doubts concerning the use of radioactive materials in the fight against the Russian invasion.