Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu. (File photo: courtesy Reuters)
Washington: Dismissing Moscow's claims that Ukraine will use a dirty bomb against their country, the United States, France and Britain jointly warned Moscow against escalating the Ukraine conflict using such ploys, Agence France-Presse reports.
On Sunday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made the "dirty bomb attack" allegation during his phone call with the chiefs of defence of the West.
The US, British and French governments issued a joint statement, and the US State Department said in it that the three nations made it clear that they all reject Moscow's transparently false allegations that Kyiv is preparing to use such a bomb on Russian territory.
The statement continued that the world would see through any attempt to use the said allegation as an excuse to escalate the conflict.
The dirty bomb is claimed to be designed to contaminate a wide area with the radioactive matter, turning the target to be harmful to civilians though it does not involve a nuclear explosion.
Ukraine President Volodymir Zelensky had condemned Moscow's allegations and said they were nothing but a ploy for an excuse to initiate an attack. He said that the world should react harshly to this. "If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," AFP quoted from his video message.
The Russian threats that it will employ nuclear weapons while Ukraine ruled off the use of same are big reasons to deliver stronger sanctions on Moscow and greater support for Kyiv, Zelensky said.
"Even the very Russian threat of nuclear weapons -- and even more so against our country, which has given up its nuclear arsenal... is a reason for both sanctions and for even greater strengthening of support for Ukraine," AFP quoted him.