Russia to raise Ukraine 'dirty bomb' at the UN
Russian Defense Ministry information says the "dirty bomb" provocation may be carried out with the support of Western countries.
Russia calls on the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to do everything possible to prevent Ukraine from carrying out its "dirty bomb" provocation, according to Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN.
Russia delivered a letter to the United Nations late Monday outlining its claim regarding Kiev, and diplomats said Moscow planned to raise the issue with the Security Council at a secret meeting today.
"We call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to do everything in his power to prevent this heinous crime from happening," the letter reads.
"We will regard the use of the `dirty bomb’ by the Kiev regime as an act of nuclear terrorism," Nebenzya warned.
According to information received by Russia’s Defense Ministry, "This provocation may be carried out with the support of the Western countries" and Russia urges "the Western countries to exert their influence on the regime in Kiev to abandon its dangerous plans threatening international peace and security," Nebenzya said.
"Amidst the anti-Russian propaganda campaign, we would like to stress that the Russian Federation has not intended, nor intends to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine," he emphasized.
Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, chief of the Russian Armed Forces' Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, stated during a press conference on Monday that the Russian Defense Ministry has all forces and means ready to carry out tasks in the face of radioactive contamination.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also referenced the "dirty bomb" concern on Monday. Russia's senior diplomat stated that the subject of Kiev's plans for using such weapons would be raised at the United Nations.
Al Mayadeen correspondent quoted sources familiar with the matter yesterday that "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his regime's fate were the subjects of the recent Russian-Western contacts."
"Moscow has warned the West that it will bear the consequences of Kiev's use of a dirty bomb," the sources said.
The future of "Ukraine and its borders will be determined at a potential meeting between the Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia," the sources added.
The Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media that Ukraine's provocations about using the "dirty bomb" are clear, adding that "this information was brought to the attention of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s counterparts."
Foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, in a joint statement, rejected these claims on Monday. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected the accusations as well.
It is worth noting that Ukraine has a stockpile of radioactive material that can be used for its "dirty bomb", including spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to the official.