Russian False Claims About “Dirty Bombs”

On October 23, Russian Minister of Defence, Sergi Shoigu claimed without any proof that Ukraine was preparing to use a “dirty bomb” in what he described as an “uncontrolled escalation”.  A “dirty bomb” is used to describe an improvised explosive device that is laced with radioactive material in either liquid, solid, or gaseous form.

The Russian defence minister made the claim in three separate meetings on the same day.Ukraine relinquished all of its nuclear weapons in the early 1990s as part of its obligations under the Budapest Memorandum. In return, Russia committed to “respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”, which it has repeatedly violated since 2014 when Russia invaded and occupied Crimea and Donbas. Ukraine possesses no nuclear weapons or weaponized nuclear materials.

During the recent phase of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian government and state-controlled media have stoked fears about Russia’s use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Such threats are intended to stoke fear in Western societies in hopes of forcing western leaders to negotiate with the Putin regime and grant Russia concessions in Ukraine. Russian nuclear threats have been reflected in far-right western media, in which some commentators have called for an end to US support for Ukraine in order to avoid a nuclear war with Russia.

In response to the Russian government’s false claim about a Ukrainian dirty bomb, the UK Minister of Defence stated that:

“Minister Shoigu alleged that Ukraine was planning actions facilitated by Western countries, including the UK, to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. The Defence Secretary refuted these claims and cautioned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation.”

There is no evidence that Ukraine is planning to use a “dirty bomb” nor that it has the materials needed to create one. In response to Russia’s significant military setbacks during its “special operations” against Ukraine, the Putin regime has engaged in mass targeting of civilian infrastructure, including apartments, schools, hospitals and electrical generations facilities. In September a panel of UN experts stated that Russian troops have carried out large-scale executions and raped children in front of their parents as part of Vladimir Putin’s war of terror against Ukraine.