This is behind the “dirty bomb” tactic

On Sunday afternoon, the next escalation of the war in Ukraine will take place at the political level. In a telephone conversation with his French and British colleagues, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 67, claimed that Kiev was planning to break a nuclear taboo in order to discredit Moscow.

Ukraine plans to detonate a “dirty bomb” – a conventional explosive enriched with radioactive material – on its own territory. This is meant to turn the world against Russia. According to British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, 52, Shoigu has said Ukraine is “planning measures supported by Western countries, including Britain, to escalate the conflict in Ukraine”.

False threat against Ukraine?

To put it plainly, Shoigu accuses his Western colleagues of seeking to deliberately escalate in conjunction with Ukraine and of wanting to use a nuclear-contaminated bomb to do so.

Shoigu did not substantiate the allegations and the Ukrainian government immediately dismissed the allegations. President Volodymyr Zelensky, 44, said Russia’s claim raised suspicions that Moscow itself was planning something “dirty”.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (41) also said Ukraine has no dirty bombs. And he added: “The Russians often blame others for what they themselves intend to do.”

In fact, Russia continues to use this scam to distract from its own actions. Time and again there have been horrific actions by Putin’s forces – not without accusing Ukraine of a “planned provocation” before or after, thereby denying any responsibility.

Accusations have been staged several times

An example: the massacre of Bucha. In March and April, hundreds of civilians are killed in the village, which is temporarily occupied by the Russians. After the departure of the Russian troops, the horrific acts of the Russian occupier gradually come to light. Despite the clear images, Russia rejects the allegations and instead speaks of a “staging” by Ukraine. But Russia’s allegations are unfounded, as this Blick fact check showed, among other things.

Moreover, Vladimir Putin (70) repeatedly justifies his war of aggression in Ukraine with the “will of the people”. Moreover, the Ukrainian leadership poses “a real danger to the people of Donbass”, after all, Ukraine started the war.

This claim is also not true: on February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine with a large military contingent. Moreover, the war in Donbass has been going on since 2014. At the time, soldiers with no apparent kinship raised the Russian flag on Ukrainian territory, causing an escalation. Russia claims that the soldiers do not belong to the Russian army. However, experts now believe that this claim is false.

exact time chosen

The shooting down of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 also portrays Russia as a “great theatrical staging” of the West. Russian state media had repeatedly circulated different versions of how the shooting took place in an attempt to lead the perpetrators to Ukraine. However, investigations show that the plane was shot down by a Russian missile. All 298 people on board were killed.

Observers also assume that Russia chose the timing of the nuclear threat very carefully. Putin’s forces are facing a bitter defeat, especially in the Kherson region. With the rumors now spreading, Kremlin propaganda could be trying to divert attention from the desolate situation.

In addition, it cannot be ruled out that Russia could respond to the possible defeat in the Ukrainian city with a tactical nuclear weapon. Such a retaliatory strike has already been carried out by Russia after the partial destruction of the Crimean Bridge. After the attack on Putin’s heart project in occupied Crimea, the Russian president fired rockets at major Ukrainian cities for days, killing dozens of people.

According to the newspaper “Bild”, Russia could also try to increase the pressure on Kiev with the new rumors. The calls to the West and the nuclear threat from Russia are intended to prevent Ukraine from breaking off the offensive around Kherson and leaving the field to the Russians.