A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official responded to reports from Russian propaganda sources that Kiev was preparing to use a "dirty bomb" or to attack nuclear power plants - Zaporozhye in Russian-occupied territory or Kursk in Kursk Oblast. This is reported by news.bg.
"We're seeing a new surge of crazy Russian propaganda about Ukraine's alleged plans to use "dirty bombs" or to attack nuclear power plants.
"We officially refute these false reports. Ukraine has neither the intention nor the ability to carry out such actions. Russia must stop spreading dangerous lies", wrote in a telegram the spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Giorgi Tikhii.
On Friday evening, Russian "military correspondents", pro-war bloggers, and the RIA Novosti news agency, citing an unspecified law enforcement agency source, began writing that Ukraine would strike repositories of spent weapons nuclear fuel in nuclear power plants. No evidence was presented.
A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device that, when exploded, scatters radioactive material and pollutes the environment. There are no known cases of combat use of such devices.
However, in the spring and summer of 2022, when the Russian offensive was repulsed and amid the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russia began to actively spread accusations that Ukraine was preparing to use such weapons. Nothing like that happened either then or later.
"We don't have any "dirty bombs" and we do not plan to acquire them. When Russia first spread this nonsense in 2022, we invited an IAEA mission that completely refuted this lie. Nothing has changed since then," Tychius said.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation has warned that Russia, with its campaign of false accusations, may be preparing to make a nuclear provocation.
The scenario of accusing us of terrorism and an attack on the Kursk nuclear power plant did not work for them, now they accuse us of a dirty bomb and our possible provocation. This is evidence that Russia may be preparing for an attack, wrote Andrii Kovalenko, director of the Center.