Russia and Ukraine have exchanged harsh accusations about the use of a dangerous “weapon of mass disturbance”also known as “dirty bomb”
(See here: The ‘dirty bomb’: why Putin could use this excuse in the war with Ukraine)
According to Moscow, the Ukrainian authorities are in the “final phase” of the manufacture of this device, while the western allies of kyiv assure that the Russian declarations are a pretext to further escalate the conflict in Eastern Europe.
(Read here: The war in Ukraine: a current threat to the unity of the European Union?)
But, What is really known about the “dirty bomb”, how it works and what would its use (or the pretext for its use) in war entail?
What is a ‘dirty bomb’?
Although it is not a nuclear weapon, it is a conventional bomb wrapped in radioactive materials intended to be dispersed in powder form during its explosion.
The term “dirty bomb”, also called “radiological dispersal device” (DDR), designates any device that, when detonated, disseminates one or more chemically or biologically toxic products (NRBC: nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical).
“A dirty bomb is not a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ but a ‘weapon of mass disturbance’ that primarily seeks to contaminate and scare,” summarizes the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC).
Why is the ‘dirty bomb’ dangerous?
The main danger of “dirty bomb” it comes from the explosion and not from the radiation. Only people who are very close to the blast site would be exposed to levels of radiation capable of causing immediate serious illness.
However, radioactive dust and fumes can spread farther and pose a health hazard if they are inhaled from the air or if contaminated food or water is ingested.
What is known about its manufacture?
The “dirty bomb” uses a conventional explosive and its main objective is to contaminate a geographical area and the people who are there, both with direct radiation and by ingestion or inhalation of radioactive materials.
We reject Russia’s patently false allegation that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory
The radioactive materials necessary for the elaboration of this type of device are usually used in hospitals, research centers and industrial or military establishments.
“Radioactive substances originating from nuclear fuel storage facilities used at the (Ukrainian) Chernobyl nuclear power plant can be used” to make a dirty bomb, Russian General Igor Kirillov, in charge of radioactive substances and chemical and biological products in the Russian army, said in a statement on Monday.
In March 2016, the terrorist cell responsible for the Brussels bombings had planned to build a radioactive “dirty bomb”, after video surveillance of a Belgian “nuclear expert”.
(On video: Ukraine denies using dirty bomb against Russia)
What does Russia say about the making of the ‘dirty bomb’?
“According to the information we have, two Ukrainian organizations have specific instructions to create the so-called ‘dirty bomb,'” Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov said in a statement.
If the Russians carried out a false flag attack using a dirty bomb, we would know about it right away.
“His work entered the final phase”added the senior official, responsible in the Russian army for radiation, chemical and biological products.
Russia’s claim comes a day after calls between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his counterparts from several NATO countries, in which he raised concerns about Ukraine’s possible use of a “dirty bomb.” on your own soil.
What do Ukraine and Western allies say?
“If Russia says that Ukraine is preparing something, that only means one thing: that Russia has already prepared all that,” Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky reacted, accusing Moscow of trying to justify an escalation in the conflict.
For its part, the United States is concerned that “false allegations” by Russia that Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb” be used as a pretext for further escalation on Ukrainian territory.
“We reject Russia’s patently false allegation that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said at her daily briefing.
What does the international community say?
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Monday that an inspector mission will be sent to two nuclear facilities in Ukraine at the request of the kyiv authorities.
The UN nuclear agency, for the moment, also has no indication of diversion of nuclear material or undeclared Ukrainian activities.
What does this mean for the conflict?
By accusing Ukraine of wanting to detonate a “dirty bomb” on its own territory to make it look like a Russian attack, Russia once again gives substance to the hypothesis of a nuclear escalationalthough some analysts do not rule out a simple distraction.
Radioactive substances originating from nuclear fuel storage facilities used at the (Ukrainian) Chernobyl nuclear power plant can be used
“The Russians are using this dialectic of escalation because of the real difficulties at the front,” where kyiv troops launched a counteroffensive that has allowed them to recapture several thousand km of territory in the northeast and south, analyzes a Western military source.
“If there is an imbalance, it is forced to escalate to avoid a tactical defeat on the battlefield, which can turn into a strategic defeat,” he added.
In any case, the possibility of using a “dirty bomb” to justify a tactical nuclear attack it is hardly believableaccording to some experts.
For one thing, Western intelligence services have no indication that Russia has decided to use nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, “if the Russians carried out a false flag attack” using a dirty bomb, “we would know immediately,” William Alberque, an arms control expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), told AFP. From london.
“It is possible to make a chemical weapon out of nothing, but nuclear material has a very identifiable fingerprint,” he explained. “It’s just noise to create fear, it’s fun” that Moscow will try to take advantage of later by claiming that it dissuaded kyiv from using a dirty bomb, she estimates.
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