In another harrowing step toward a possible nuclear explosive being detonated, Russia announced on Monday that it was activating its Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops.
The head of that force, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, addressed the move in a media briefing on Monday, according to multiple outlets, including Reuters and the Russian news site Kommersant.
Kirillov echoed comments made by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday.
Shoigu expressed concern about “possible Ukrainian provocations involving a ‘dirty bomb.’”
While a “dirty bomb” wouldn’t have the same effect as a true nuclear explosion, the lingering radioactive contamination could do damage for years to come.
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And now it appears Russia is preparing for that scenario.
“The detonation of a radiological explosive device will inevitably lead to radioactive contamination of the area over an area of up to several thousand square meters,” Kirillov said, according to Reuters.
While Ukraine has strongly denied having any such plans and Western leaders have dismissed the idea, Russia remains adamant that Ukraine is planning on using a dirty bomb against it.
“The aim of the provocation would be to accuse Russia of using a weapon of mass destruction in the Ukrainian military theatre and by that means to launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world, aimed at undermining trust in Moscow,” Kirillov said.
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed to the Russian claims as a sign that it was the one planning to use a dirty bomb.
Zelenskyy adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called Russia’s claims an “absolute and quite predictable absurdity from those who believe that they blatantly lie and make people believe in that,” CNBC reported.
Every day, #UAarmy liberates our land from rus dirt.
The thought of a “dirty bomb” is repulsive to us.
We invite @UN @iaeaorg monitoring missions to visit🇺🇦.The world should provide a response to rus nuclear blackmail.We demand adherence to paragraph 4 of the Budapest Memorandum pic.twitter.com/aE3G4pd1XF— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) October 23, 2022
Amid all the finger-pointing, Russia seems committed to the idea that Ukraine has a dirty bomb in its possession.
“Work has been organized by the ministry of defense to counter possible provocations from the Ukrainian side: forces and resources have been put in readiness to perform tasks in conditions of radioactive contamination,” Kirillov said, according to Reuters.
Adding fuel to the fire, Russia also lashed out at Western leaders who denied the “intelligence” about Ukraine using nuclear material in an attack.
“The unfounded denials of our Western colleagues, saying all this is fiction and that Russia itself plans to do something similar in order to later blame the Zelenskyy regime — this is not a serious conversation,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, according to Reuters.
As tensions soar between Russia and Ukraine, many are urging de-escalation.
But with Moscow activating its Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops on Monday, at least one country appears to believe that a nuclear attack is inevitable.
