UKRAINE: On Monday, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that it had started an investigative probe at several sites in Ukraine as part of “independent verification” of Russian allegations against Kyiv of producing a foul, “dirty bomb” for civilian and infrastructural destruction in the Ukraine war.
The agency issued a statement, revealing that the inspectors of the IAEA have “begun-and will soon complete” verification activities at two locations in Ukraine.
IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi also notified the press that upon receiving intel from his team in Ukraine, he would “later this week provide his initial conclusions.“
The inspection was authorised following a written request from the Ukraine government to send the nuclear agency inspectors to the area.
Russia has accused Ukraine of allegedly conspiring and planning to attack Moscow’s troops with so-called dirty bombs in order to dismantle their infrastructural facilities, especially civilian facilities.
However, Kyiv has retorted, saying that Russia itself might use a dirty bomb as a “false flag” to blame Kyiv, possibly to justify the use of the traditional nuclear arsenal by Moscow as it continues to fend off attacks in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The agency said last week that it had inspected “one of the two locations a month ago and no undeclared nuclear activities or materials were found there.”
A dirty bomb is a conventional bomb lined with radioactive, biological, or chemical materials that are spread over an explosion.
Prior to the IAEA’s trip to Ukraine to inspect these dirty bomb allegations, the nuclear agency had been personally urged by Russian President Vladimir Putin to inspect Ukraine’s nuclear sites for bomb traces “as fast as possible”.
Also Read: Moscow to Address Ukraine ‘Dirty Bomb’ Issue at U.N.
