Moscow is ready to counter any potential Ukrainian “dirty bomb” false-flag attack
© Getty Images / SrdjanPav
Ukraine is planning to detonate a “dirty bomb” in a bid to intimidate the local population, trigger a refugee exodus to Europe and portray Moscow as “a nuclear terrorist,” the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Monday.
Speaking at a press briefing, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who heads Russia’s Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense Troops, said that Moscow had learned about Kiev’s plans to mount a false flag attack using “a dirty bomb” or a low-yield nuclear warhead. Kiev’s goal, he said, would be to accuse Moscow of using weapons of mass destruction in a ploy to “launch a powerful anti-Russia campaign.”
Against this backdrop, Kirillov indicated that the Russian Defense Ministry had taken measures “to counter possible Ukrainian provocations,” adding that Moscow’s forces are ready to perform tasks under conditions of radioactive contamination.
According to the general, Kiev’s potential false-flag attack could be disguised as a botched detonation of a Russian low-yield nuclear warhead. The presence of radioactive materials would quickly be detected by European countries, which would allow the West to pin the blame on Russia, he added.
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Kirillov reminded everyone that this type of scheme had already been deployed by the West in Syria, when the White Helmets, a volunteer organization operating in opposition-controlled areas, filmed “propaganda videos” that accused pro-government forces of using chemical weapons. Syria has repeatedly denied this allegation.
The general stated that the US used that as a pretext to conduct a massive missile strike on the Syrian Shayrat airbase in 2017 in a blatant violation of international law. Kirillov noted that such a scenario was “highly likely” to happen in Ukraine if Kiev deployed a “dirty bomb.”
Kiev’s plans to set up a provocation were first reported by RIA Novosti on Sunday, which, citing “sources in different countries including Ukraine” alleged that two Ukrainian institutions had already been tasked with manufacturing a “dirty bomb,” with the work now at “the final stages.” The news agency also stated that the administration of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was engaged in behind-the-scenes talks with British officials in a bid to secure the transfer of nuclear arms components to Kiev.
Following the report, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned Türkiye, the US, the UK, and France about the possible provocation. However, the latter three countries refuted what they called “blatantly false allegations,” adding that this “should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation.” Zelensky also denied any plans to stage a ‘dirty bomb’ attack, claiming that the only “entity” capable of using nukes at present is Russia itself.
