The head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service is warning over Ukraine preparing a “dirty bomb,” combining radioactive material and conventional explosives.
Sergei Naryshkin said Russian intel has reports of “irradiated fuel” being sent, in secret, from the Rivne nuclear power plant for reprocessing at a Chernobyl facility. The Ukrainians failed to notify the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the movement “in violation of the safeguards agreement” with the United Nations organization, he added.
The Russian also claims this indicates the Ukrainian government intends to create a dirty bomb – a relatively unsophisticated weapon designed to spread deadly radiation over a large area, rather than create a thermonuclear explosion.
Such a device could have “grave consequences for the life and health of the entire population and ecosystem of Eastern Europe, including the states of the European Union and the Black Sea region,” Naryskin said.
The news comes as international agencies warn over Russia’s intent to “go nuclear” in the stagnating conflict between the two countries, suggesting Putin is using the “dirty bomb” claim as a pretext for escalation against Ukraine.
.jpg){kind=link}
