Russian propaganda has spread fake accusations of Ukraine and the West of intending to detonate a dirty bomb and provoke a nuclear conflict, causing a new Chernobyl. This is not the first time the Kremlin has made such accusations, as Kremlin officials claimed a dirty bomb in 2022, in the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Russian state propaganda media platforms, Russia Today and Sputnik, played a key role in this disinformation campaign.
Russian agent of influence, blogger Kim Dotcom:
- https://twitter.com/KimDotcom/status/1824612579005829505
Quote: “Ukraine plans to detonate dirty bombs with nuclear material in Russia. Intelligence services claim that Zelenskyy and his Western backers provoke nuclear war. Who asked Americans and Europeans if they are ok with this? Reckless leaders will get you killed.”
Russia Today
- https://francais.rt.com/russie/113115-centrale-nucleaire-zaporojie-kiev-attaque
Quote: «la sécurité du personnel de la centrale nucléaire de Zaporojié a été une nouvelle fois menacée. Un drone de l’armée ukrainienne a largué un obus sur la route menant aux réacteurs de la centrale».
Russian influence agent, Stanislav Krapivnik, in his interview with RT claims that Ukraine is planning to set off an explosion at the Kursk nuclear power plant. He failed to provide any evidence.
- https://www.rt.com/russia/602744-ukraine-may-trigger-another-chernobyl/
Quote: «Ukraine’s armed forces could cause a nuclear disaster that would affect most of Europe if they strike the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik has warned».
Stanislav Krapivnik’s interview to RT has been shared by People’s Voice, Ussanews, Australian National Review, LegitGov, Planet Today.
- https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/ex-us-army-officer-warns-that-ukraine-might-trigger-another-chernobyl/
Quote: «Ex US Army Officer Warns That Ukraine Might Trigger Another Chernobyl».
- https://ussanews.com/2024/08/18/ukraine-could-trigger-another-chernobyl-ex-us-army-officer-to-rt/
Quote: «Ukraine could trigger ‘another Chernobyl’ – ex-US Army officer to RT».
- https://australiannationalreview.com/politics/ukraine-could-trigger-another-chernobyl-ex-us-army-officer-to-rt-rt-russia-former-soviet-union/
Quote: «Ukraine could trigger ‘another Chernobyl’ – ex-US Army officer to RT — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union».
- https://legitgov.org/index.php/2024/08/18/ukraine-could-trigger-another-chernobyl-ex-u-s-army-officer-to-rt/
Quote: «Ukraine could trigger ‘another Chernobyl’ – ex-U.S. Army officer to RT».
- https://www.planet-today.com/2024/08/geopolitical-peril-ukraines-potential.html
Quote: «Geopolitical Peril: Ukraine’s Potential Threat to Kursk Nuclear Plant and Europe».
Gunnar Beck, a German politician from the far-right AfD party, asserts that the West is assisting Ukraine in organizing a dirty bomb provocation.
- https://www.rt.com/russia/602722-ukraine-west-help-dirty-bomb/
Quote: «The West could secretly be helping Ukraine to make a so-called ‘dirty’ nuclear device to potentially use against Russia, Gunnar Beck, a former member of the European Parliament for the Alternative for Germany party, has told RT.»
Important fact: AfD members are known as long-time reliable friends and faithful allies of Putin’s regime. They are known for having strong ties to the Russian government, rejecting EU sanctions against Russia, supporting the Assad government in Syria, supporting Russian propaganda against Ukraine, and so on. So it’s not surprising that Gunnar Beck from AfD helps spread Russian fakes.
Sputnik news agency (owned and operated by the Russian government) has propelled the «dirty bomb» disinformation.
- https://fr.sputniknews.africa/20240816/kiev-preparerait-une-frappe-a-la-bombe-sale-sur-les-stocks-de-combustible-dune-centrale-nucleaire-1067896047.html
Quote: «Kiev a l’intention de frapper les centrales nucléaires de Koursk et de Zaporojié, a annoncé la police de la région de Kharkov. L’objectif de cette attaque est d’accuser la Russie de provocation et de se tirer elle-même dessus volontairement, a expliqué l’instance».
It’s curious to note that Russian propagandists, while disseminating false information about “dirty bombs”, have cited the Kharkiv regional police as their source of information. However, it’s important to note that the invaders are currently only temporarily controlling a tiny part of the Kharkiv region, as indicated by the pink terrain on the map.
- https://fr.sputniknews.africa/20240817/moscou-alerte-sur-les-risques-pour-leurope-des-provocations-de-kiev-contre-des-sites-nucleaires-1067901386.html
Quote: «La diplomatie russe a appelé l’Onu et l’AIEA à condamner immédiatement les actions provocatrices préparées par le régime de Kiev contre les installations nucléaires russes et à empêcher les violations de la sécurité nucléaire.»
- https://fr.sputniknews.africa/20240817/rosatom-les-actions-de-kiev-peuvent-causer-un-dommage-irreparable-a-lindustrie-mondiale-nucleaire-1067901495.html
Quote: «L’armée ukrainienne planifierait les attaques contre les centrales nucléaires de Koursk et de Zaporojié, selon les dires des prisonniers de guerre.»
Another agent of influence, Rodion Miroshnik, told Russia’s Tass news agency that the West will use Kyiv to detonate a dirty bomb.
- https://tass.com/politics/1830291
Quote: “The masters of the Kiev regime” should take very seriously the data on the Ukrainian side preparing a provocation with the use of a “dirty bomb”.”
According to Tass, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also calls for the Ukrainian leader to be brought to reason.
- https://tass.com/world/1831253
Quote: “The United States and Europe must stop Zelensky’s terrorist plans against nuclear power plants and guarantee political negotiations for the final surrender of Ukraine and the end of Nazism in Ukraine,” Maduro pointed out, adding that “the United States is Zelensky’s master.”
Pravda, the well-known Russian network of propaganda outlets in Europe, started accusing Zelensky of nuclear blackmail. Meanwhile, Russia has been threatening to use its nuclear weapons against the West for many years.
- https://pravda-en.com/world/2024/08/19/696480.html
Quote: “So, according to the data of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Military-Civil Administration of the Kharkiv region, obtained as a result of the interrogation of prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 82 CSTO, the Ukrainian leadership plans to strike at Russia’s nuclear facilities with the help of a so-called dirty bomb, in order to habitually accuse them of “self-shooting”.”
Curiously, this time Russian propagandists mentioned the Department of Internal Affairs of the Kharkiv region’s Military-Civil Administration as the information source. They temporarily assert control over a minuscule area in the Kharkiv region (refer to the map above).
- https://pravda-es.com/world/2024/08/13/239774.html
Quote: “Russia claims Ukraine already has a dirty bomb”.
The following English-language pro-Russian outlets picked up the «dirty bomb» fake.
- https://www.sgtreport.com/2024/08/ukraine-plans-to-detonate-dirty-bombs-with-nuclear-material-in-russia-intelligence-services-claim-that-zelenskyy-and-his-western-backers-provoke-nuclear-war/
Quote: “Ukraine plans to detonate dirty bombs with nuclear material in Russia. Intelligence services claim that Zelenskyy and his Western backers provoke nuclear war”.
The outlet has also shared the above mentioned Kim Dotcom’s tweet.
- https://orientalreview.su/2024/08/15/ukrainian-attacks-on-nuclear-power-plants-nuclear-catastrophe-is-closer-and-closer/
Quote: “Ukrainian Attacks On Nuclear Power Plants: Nuclear Catastrophe Is Closer And Closer.”
- https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/why-might-ukraine-want-russia-use-nuclear-weapons
Quote: “Ukraine pushing Russia to use nuclear weapons – Belarus”.
- https://www.globalresearch.ca/ukraine-nuclear-terrorism-kursk/5865138
Quote: “Ukraine Using Nuclear Terrorism in Kursk. Towards a “Second Chernobyl”?”
French-language pro-Russian media outlets also contributed to the propagation of the falsehood.
Les moutons enragés (Literal translation: Raging sheep) shares the article by Lucas Leiroz de Almeida from Global Research, translated to French.
- https://lesmoutonsenrages.fr/2024/08/16/lukraine-recourt-au-terrorisme-nucleaire-a-koursk-vers-un-deuxieme-tchernobyl/
Quote: “L’Ukraine recourt au terrorisme nucléaire à Koursk. Vers un “deuxième Tchernobyl”?”
Canada-based French-language pro-Russian influence website, Mondalisation, also shares the same article.
- https://www.mondialisation.ca/lukraine-recourt-au-terrorisme-nucleaire-a-koursk-vers-un-deuxieme-tchernobyl/5691314
Quote: “L’Ukraine recourt au terrorisme nucléaire à Koursk. Vers un “deuxième Tchernobyl”?”
The Observateur Continental has reposted the article from Mondialisation.
- https://www.observateurcontinental.fr/?module=articles&action=view&id=6201
Quote: “L’Ukraine recourt au terrorisme nucléaire à Koursk. Vers un “deuxième Tchernobyl”?”
- https://ripostelaique.com/poutine-plus-question-de-negocier-avec-ceux-qui-ciblent-les-civils-et-menacent-les-centrales-nucleaires.html
Quote: “Poutine : plus question de négocier avec ceux qui menacent les centrales nucléaires”
The “dirty bomb” topic is also widely spread by Russian propaganda English-language Telegram channels which target Western audiences:
- https://t.me/rybar_in_english/17039
- https://t.me/Slavyangrad/106181
- https://t.me/geopolitics_live/31088
- https://t.me/infodefENGLAND/22902
- https://t.me/IntelRepublic/40575
Of course, the Ukrainian government has refuted Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claims. “The Ukrainian government has denied Russian propaganda claims about purported Ukrainian plans to use “dirty bombs” or attack nuclear power plants in Russian territory, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Aug. 16,” the statement said.
Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has denied Russian reports about Ukraine’s alleged plans to use “dirty bombs” or attack the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP).
Evidently, Russia’s goal is to distract attention from its catastrophic military failure in Kursk, justify its war aggression against the Ukrainian people, demonize Ukraine, and accuse the West and Ukraine of their own nuclear blackmail tactics.
Despite how ridiculous and unfounded the Russian propaganda campaigns may be, Western democracies cannot afford to neglect them.
Russian propaganda networks, including news outlets, agents of influence, and pro-Russian politicians, constitute a significant threat to Western nations. As a result, the Western governments need to find ways to halt Russia’s destructive propaganda campaigns.