Russia's 'dirty bomb' claims fuel fears of Putin escalation in Ukraine - NBC News

Nevertheless, it drew coordinated nationalist pushback from the U.S. and its allies.

In a associated connection aboriginal Monday, the U.S., Britain and France rejected Shoigu’s accusations and “any pretext for escalation by Russia.” Separately, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the allegations “transparently false.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov countered those statements Monday, saying the menace of a “dirty bomb” was “obvious,” irrespective of the doubts of Kyiv’s allies. In a lengthy update Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine had the scientific, technological and concern capableness to make a “dirty bomb” to further discredit Russia globally.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy besides denied Shoigu’s claims successful a video address Sunday, adding that Shoigu’s “telephone carousel” with Kyiv’s allies was not precise convincing.

“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means 1 thing: Russia has already prepared it,” helium said.

Kyiv connected Monday said Russia was engaging successful “nuclear blackmail,” adding that it was unfastened to monitoring missions.

The Kremlin has an established signifier of informing astir alleged “false flag” operations by Ukraine and its allies.

The U.S. said successful January that Russia was engaging successful specified a strategy successful eastbound Ukraine to effort and warrant a full-scale invasion. Moscow did conscionable that successful the buildup to its Feb. 24 assault, and has subsequently accused Ukraine and its allies of readying biologic and atomic provocations successful bid to blasted Russia.

Moscow’s latest accusations offered fewer specifics. But broadly, a “dirty bomb” tin beryllium defined arsenic a accepted explosive with added radiological material, according to the Washington-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Its deployment could endanger tens of thousands of radical and contaminate the affected country for up to 50 years, a Russian atomic authoritative was quoted arsenic saying by the authorities quality bureau Tass connected Monday. NBC News could not verify the claims.

Some analysts picked up connected Shoigu’s unreserved of calls arsenic a perchance troubling sign.