America, Britain and France reject Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ accusations

The United States, Britain and France yesterday dismissed Russian claims that Ukraine was ready to use a dirty bomb. “Our countries have made it clear that we all reject Russia’s false claims that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its soil,” the US State Department said in a joint statement with the British and French governments. The statement added: “The world will see any attempt to use this statement as a pretext for escalation. We reject any pretext for escalation from Russia.” The “dirty” bomb was designed to contaminate a large area with radioactive materials, making it dangerous for civilians. However, this is not related to a nuclear explosion. Earlier, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council at the White House said that Moscow’s statements accusing Ukraine of preparing to use a “dirty” bomb against Russian troops are “clearly wrong.” Adrian Watson said in a statement that the United States rejects “clearly false allegations by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its territory.” And she warned that “the world will not be stupid if an attempt is made to use this statement as an excuse for escalation.” In Sunday phone calls with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Shoigu expressed “concern about possible provocations by Ukraine using a dirty bomb.” In turn, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky denied Russian accusations, saying: “If Russia says that Ukraine is preparing for something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I think the world should respond as harshly as possible.”