Following Russia’s assertion about a “dirty bomb” IAEA sends experts to Ukraine

Ukraine requested the IAEA send specialists to the locations of its nuclear sites in an official appeal. The IAEA experts will be able to confirm that Ukraine is not developing any “dirty bombs” as a result. Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, made this announcement. Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, accepted Ukraine’s request.

Ukraine invited IAEA experts to see its nuclear facilities

Following Russian Defense minister Sergei Shoigu’s declarations about an alleged preparation of a “dirty bomb” by Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba had a telephone conversation with Raphael Grossi and urged him to send experts to Ukraine to testify to the misinformation of the Russians, he said. The diplomat stressed that Ukraine has nothing to hide.

“In a conversation with Director General Rafael Grossi, I officially invited the IAEA to immediately send experts to peaceful facilities in Ukraine, which Russia falsely describes as the sites of the “dirty bomb” development. He agreed. Unlike Russia, Ukraine has been and remains transparent. We have nothing to hide”,- Kuleba stressed.

What is a “dirty bomb”?

A dirty bomb is a container with a radioactive isotope and an explosive charge. When detonated, the container is destroyed and it is dispersed by a shock wave. The explosion will lead to radiation contamination of soil, water, and foci of radiation sickness in large areas.

Moscow accuses Ukraine of allegedly preparing a “dirty bomb”

On October 23, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held telephone conversations with the heads of the defense ministries of France, Turkey, and the United Kingdom and complained that Ukraine was allegedly preparing to use a “dirty bomb”.

In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that such Kremlin’s inventions can only mean that they have already prepared everything to carry out another terrorist attack and are now preparing an information ground for it.

At the same time, analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War noted that such declarations made by Shoigu are aimed at intimidating the West and reducing military support for Ukraine. Experts say the West has long understood that such statements of the Kremlin look more like an announcement of its next actions. Therefore, Shoigu decided to use an hysteria about the “dirty bomb”.