the IAEA has so far found “no signs of undeclared nuclear activity”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday November 3 that it had not detected at this stage “no signs of undeclared nuclear activity” in three places inspected at the request of kyiv, accused by Moscow of having erased the evidence of preparation of a “dirty bomb”. “We will report the results of the environmental sampling as soon as possible”added IAEA boss Rafael Grossreferring to samples taken by IAEA inspectors.

At the request of kyiv, the agency United Nations Monday began inspections at two sites and a third on Wednesday: at the Kyiv Nuclear Research Institute, at a mining plant in Jovti Vody and at a plant in Dnipro. “In recent days, the inspectors have been able to carry out the planned activities and have been able to access the sites without hindrance”can we read the press release of theIAEA.

The addition of a third site had been requested by Ukraine following allegations from Moscow that this location would also house nuclear activities, the IAEA spokesman told AFP . Russian President Vladimir Putin last week asked the UN agency to inspect Ukrainian nuclear sites “as fast as possible”.

By investigating these allegations, the IAEA is trying to unravel a highly strategic puzzle. Russia has indeed accused Ukraine of preparing to use “dirty bombs” against its troops, but kyiv suspects Moscow of wanting to use such a bomb itself and of trying to blame it, in order to then justify the use of nuclear weapons on the Russian side. This diplomatic game comes as Russian troops are losing ground in eastern and southern Ukraine.