Washington and Kyiv slammed allegations by Moscow that Ukraine is readying to usage a "dirty bomb" connected its ain territory, calling them "transparently false" and a "pretext for escalation."
Ukrainian forces proceed to beforehand connected Kherson, which was illegally annexed by Moscow past month. Russian authorities determination accidental 25,000 residents person been evacuated since Tuesday.
Meanwhile, much than 1 cardinal households successful Ukraine are without energy arsenic Russia continues to onslaught captious vigor infrastructure astir the country.
'Ukraine has neither quality nor request to usage soiled bomb,' erstwhile British ambassador says
Ukraine "has neither quality nor request to usage soiled bomb," elder chap for Russia and Eurasia astatine the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Nigel Gould-Davies, wrote successful a thread connected Twitter.
"[Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu's circular of calls with US, UK, France and Turkey, claiming Ukraine readying to usage a 'dirty bomb' is v worrying. We've seen thing similar this aggravated subject diplomacy since warfare began. Its substance is adjacent much worrying," Gould-Davies, who formerly served arsenic the UK's ambassador to Belarus, wrote.
"Of course, Ukraine has neither quality nor request to usage soiled bomb. It's Russia that's losing. Nor volition anyone judge Shoigu anyhow – esp [UK Defense Minister] Ben Wallace, who was lied to during his pre-invasion sojourn to Moscow.
"Shoigu besides warned of 'uncontrolled escalation'. It's Russia that is escalating... So hard to spot these calls arsenic thing different than Shoigu either doubling down connected Putin's bluffs, oregon preparing mode for Russian atomic use. Yes, atomic (ie fission)," Gould-Davies added. "A soiled weaponry wd breach atomic taboo but not execute important effects."
— Natasha Turak
U.S. dismisses Russian claims that Ukraine volition usage a 'dirty bomb'
U.S. and Ukrainian officials person struck down claims by Moscow that Ukraine is readying to usage a "dirty bomb," calling them "transparently false."
The allegation was made by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu successful a circular of high-level calls with Western defence directors. Shoigu expressed "concerns astir imaginable provocations by Ukraine with the usage of a 'dirty bomb'," according to Russia's defence ministry.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov be a gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin successful Moscow, Russia February 27, 2022.
Aleksey Nikolskyi | Sputnik | Reuters
A "dirty bomb" is made to contaminate a ample country with radioactivity, making it harmful oregon uninhabitable for residents there, without utilizing a atomic explosion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that "the United States rejects Russian Defense Minister Shoygu's transparently mendacious allegations that Ukraine is preparing to usage a soiled weaponry connected its ain territory and that the satellite would spot done immoderate attempt by Russia to use this allegation arsenic a pretext for escalation," according to a White House statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy besides slammed the Russian accusation.
"If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means 1 thing: Russia has already prepared each this," Zelenskyy said successful his nightly address.
— Natasha Turak
France's Macron says presumption of bid with Russia indispensable beryllium decided by Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures during a property league connected the past time of the NATO Heads of State acme successful Madrid connected June 30, 2022.
Bertrand Guay | AFP | Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the presumption of bid with Moscow indispensable beryllium decided by Ukraine, stressing that the war's extremity "can't beryllium the consecration of the instrumentality of the strongest."
"To enactment neutral would mean accepting the satellite bid of the strongest, and I don't hold with this," Macron said from Rome connected Sunday, arsenic the three-day Cry for Peace league began.
Macron added that the planetary assemblage would beryllium receptive erstwhile Ukraine's authorities decides connected that time.
Ukrainian forces are gradually retaking territory occupied and illegally annexed by Russia, and portion Moscow progressively looks to beryllium connected the backmost foot, its quality to wreak havoc connected Ukraine's cities and captious infrastructure remains intact and analysts fearfulness it could usage much utmost measures successful retaliation, specified arsenic atomic weapons.
— Natasha Turak
More than 1 cardinal Ukrainian homes are without power
Smoke rises supra the buildings aft the Russian rocket onslaught connected the captious infrastructure of Lviv connected Oct. 10, 2022. Russia launched 15 rockets successful the Lviv region, immoderate were changeable down by aerial defence forces, the remainder deed vigor infrastructure facilities. Due to the rocket attack, Lviv was near without electricity, h2o and mobile communication.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Russian strikes connected captious vigor infrastructure successful Ukraine person near much than 1 cardinal homes successful the state without power, lawman caput of the Ukrainian presidency Kyrylo Tymoshenko said implicit the weekend. Cities and towns each implicit Ukraine person faced powerfulness outages this period owed to Russian attacks, prompting fearfulness astir what could beryllium successful store for the coming winter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged his chap citizens to beryllium cautious with their powerfulness use.
"We should devour energy precise consciously. Please retrieve to bounds the usage of unnecessary and energy-consuming appliances ... It is indispensable to beryllium truly frugal with vigor depletion successful nationalist space," helium said successful his nightly code Sunday.
— Natasha Turak