US official says Russia's purported fears of Ukraine using a dirty bomb are 'transparently false' - CNN

CNN  — 

Russia’s defence curate accused Ukrainians of readying to usage a alleged soiled weaponry – a assertion that was powerfully refuted by US officials connected Sunday arsenic a Russian mendacious emblem operation.

The allegation from Russian defence curate Sergei Shoigu came during a telephone telephone with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin connected Sunday, the 2nd telephone successful 3 days betwixt the 2 apical officials.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said the 2 discussed the situation successful Ukraine but did not supply further details. It was Shoigu who initiated the telephone telephone to Austin, according to a elder US medication official.

A 2nd authoritative acquainted with the speech said Shoigu made the assertion astir the planned usage of a soiled bomb, a limb that combines accepted explosives and uranium. That claim, which the Kremlin has amplified successful caller days, has been powerfully refuted by the US, Ukraine and the United Kingdom arsenic a Russian mendacious emblem operation.

Shoigu has made akin comments to his French and British counterparts arsenic well.

“We cull reports of Minister Shoigu’s transparently mendacious allegations that Ukraine is preparing to usage a soiled weaponry connected its ain territory,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told CNN successful a statement. “The satellite would spot done immoderate effort to usage this allegation arsenic a pretext for escalation.”

The US is besides watching precise intimately for immoderate quality that Russia has a circumstantial program to stroke up a large dam adjacent Kherson wherever Russia has ordered citizens to evacuate, the authoritative said.

Later Sunday, the US State Department released a associated connection with the overseas ministers of France and the UK that besides called Shoigu’s allegations mendacious and reiterated their unified enactment for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.

On Friday, Austin called Shoigu, the archetypal telephone betwixt the 2 successful respective months. Before Friday, the 2 had not spoken since May.