Zelensky slams Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claim: ‘They’ve already prepared all this’

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday hit out at Russia’s claim that his country was preparing provocations with the use of a “dirty bomb”.

In a rare call with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Russia defence minister Sergei Shoigu conveyed concerns about possible provocations by Kyiv with the use of a “dirty bomb”- a device that uses explosives to scatter radioactive waste. Repeatedly, the Russian authorities have alleged that Ukraine could detonate a dirty bomb in a false flag attack and blame it on Moscow.

Censuring the claim made by Shoigu, Zelensky said in an address on social media: “If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible.”

Zelensky added that if Moscow “prepared another escalating step, it must see now, preemptively and before any of its new ‘dirt’ that the world will not swallow it”,” news agency AFP reported.

Before the Ukrainian President, foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had called Moscow’s allegation was absurd and dangerous.

“Firstly, Ukraine is a committed (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) NPT member: we neither have any ‘dirty bombs’, nor plan to acquire any. Secondly, Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves,” Kuleba added.

Apart from Ukraine, the United States said that Russia’s claim was transparently false, adding the world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation. “We reject reports of (Defense) Minister (Sergei) Shoygu’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on Sunday.