New accusation from Moscow about a “dirty bomb”. Russia assured on Monday October 24 that Ukraine had entered “in the final stage” of the manufacture of this weapon.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valeriy Gerasimov, spoke by telephone with his American counterpart, Mark Milley. This is the first time they have discussed the conflict in Ukraine since May 19.
A radiological bomb or “dirty bomb” consists of conventional explosives surrounded by radioactive materials intended to be scattered into dust at the time of the explosion.
According to General Igor Kirillov, in charge within the Russian army of radioactive substances, chemical and biological products, “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”.
Moscow raised the charges for the first time on Sunday during telephone conversations with NATO. The Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, had then informed his interlocutors of his “concerns” as to “possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a ‘dirty bomb'”.
These allegations were immediately denied by Ukrainian officials. The head of diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba, denounced remarks “absurd” and “dangerous” and President Volodymr Zelensky called on the world to “react as harshly as possible” to Russian accusations.
Dmytro Kouleba added on Monday that he had spoken with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, on this subject and had “officially invited the IAEA to urgently send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine”. “Unlike Russia, Ukraine has always been and remains transparent. We have nothing to hide”he said.
Paris, London and Washington together lambasted statements “false” from Moscow. Ukrainians and Westerners see it as the threat of preparations for an attack carried out under a false flag, suspecting Russia of being ready to detonate a “dirty bomb” to justify military escalation, for example by employing a tactical nuclear weapon in retaliation.