Ukraine war: UN nuclear watchdog to inspect Ukrainian sites

The UN's atomic watchdog says it volition nonstop a squad to inspect 2 sites successful Ukraine astatine the government's request.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors volition analyse the sites for signs of "undeclared atomic activities", officials said.

The determination of the facilities was not announced, but Director-General Rafael Grossi said that 1 of them was inspected past month.

It comes amid Russian accusations that Kyiv is preparing to usage soiled bombs.

The devices incorporate radioactive material, specified arsenic uranium, which is scattered done the aerial erstwhile its accepted explosive detonates. They don't request to incorporate highly refined radioactive material, arsenic is utilized successful a atomic bomb, which makes them cheaper and easier to manoeuvre.

The IAEA said it received an invitation from the Ukrainian authorities to transportation retired "verification activities" astatine 2 unspecified locations, adding that the agency's inspectors already sojourn some sites regularly.

The invitation appeared to beryllium successful effect to Russia's caller allegations that 2 institutes successful Ukraine were progressive successful preparations to nutrient a soiled bomb. Moscow has not offered immoderate grounds for the claim.

Russia's state-run quality agency, RIA Novosti, said it had identified 2 sites - the Eastern Mineral Enrichment Plant successful cardinal Dnipropetrovsk portion and the Institute for Nuclear Research successful Kyiv - arsenic the locations cardinal to the alleged Ukrainian operation.

Moscow is expected to repetition the allegation during a gathering of the UN's Security Council connected Tuesday. In a missive to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Russian typical to the council, Vassily Nebenzia, said his state would "regard the usage of the soiled weaponry by the Kyiv authorities arsenic an enactment of atomic terrorism".

"Our Ministry of Defence has besides received accusation that this provocation tin beryllium carried retired with the enactment of Western countries," Mr Nebenzia wrote successful his letter.

Moscow's allegations person been rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies. In a associated connection connected Monday, the US, UK and French overseas ministers condemned the claims arsenic "transparently false" and said the "world would spot done immoderate effort to usage this allegation arsenic a pretext for escalation".

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian allegations were wide signs that it was readying it ain attack.

Speaking from Kyiv during his nightly code connected Monday, Mr Zelensky said "if Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means 1 thing: Russia has already prepared each this".

Western quality officials person been keen to accent that determination is nary denotation that Russia is preparing to usage alleged soiled bombs oregon different atomic devices.

The Russian claims travel arsenic Ukrainian forces proceed to summation crushed successful the confederate Kherson region. Kyiv's forces launched a counter-attack successful the portion successful August and its forces person dilatory moved towards the determination superior of Kherson city.

In caller days, Moscow-installed officials person fled the metropolis and urged civilians to evacuate implicit the Dnieper stream into Russian controlled territory.

But Ukraine's subject quality chief, Kyrylo Budanov, warned authorities media that Russian troops successful the portion were preparing the support the metropolis alternatively than retreat.

"They are creating the illusion that each is lost. Yet astatine the aforesaid clip they are moving caller subject units successful and preparing to support the streets of Kherson," Mr Budanov said.

Regional authorities person said that immoderate men who chose to stay down successful the metropolis would person the enactment of joining section militias to support it, raising fears that Moscow could unit men into subject formations. Such actions would represent warfare crimes nether the Geneva convention.

Kherson is the lone large Ukrainian metropolis that Russian forces person managed to seizure during its invasion, and its lone large foothold westbound of the River Dnieper.