DISINFO: Zelensky regime is building a dirty bomb
SUMMARY
Recently, Ukrainian sources have reported that Zelensky's office is working on a dirty bomb, with the help of which it also hopes to take the conflict to a new level.
RESPONSE
Conspiracy theory. Recurring disinformation about the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing Ukraine of posing a nuclear threat to Russia.
There is no evidence that Ukraine is attempting to use nuclear materials in a war against Russia. It is unclear what sources the pro-Kremlin media refer to. Contrary to pro-Kremlin claims, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has mentioned that it is vital to stop Russia's nuclear threat and to withdraw its army from Ukraine.
Pro-Kremlin sources have previously accused Ukraine of constructing a (dirty) nuclear bomb. Before the full-scale invasion on 24 February, the Kremlin-owned RIA Novosti article stated that “Kyiv is literally one step away” from creating tactical nuclear weapon. It alleged that "Russophobic authorities" in Kyiv are acquiring a dirty bomb. It was one of the reasons for invasion.
In early March, the Kremlin-owned RT alleged that, based on the evidence from the then-occupied Chornobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based "dirty bomb".
Another pro-Kremlin source claimed in May 2022 that Ukraine has stockpiled 40 tons of uranium and 30 tons of plutonium on Zaporizhzhia NPP to create a dirty nuclear bomb.
Instead, for years pro-Kremlin speakers such as Dmitry Kiselyov or Vladimir Zhirinovsky have been making nuclear threats against the West. Other Russian officials to make such statements are Dmitry Medvedev, Ramzan Kadyrov, or even Vladimir Putin who specified that “it was not a bluff”.
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On February 27, 2022 Vladimir Putin ordered his military to put Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces on high alert. Before that, Putin had warned that "whoever tries to hinder us" in Ukraine would see consequences 'you have never seen in history'.
From the first day of the war, Russia has been voicing its right to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine at all levels, from high-ranking officials to propagandists.
Talk about the use of tactical nuclear weapons intensified after illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. Without providing evidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that top NATO officials had said that it’d be acceptable to carry out nuclear strikes on Russia. He threatened to use nuclear weapons adding that "This Is Not a Bluff".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on NATO to conduct “preventive action” against Russia to prevent their use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Read also related cases: Ukraine and the West are preparing a nuclear provocation , Russia has never threatened anyone with nuclear weapons , Russia did not violate the Budapest memorandum, Volodymyr Zelensky asks NATO to launch a nuclear war against Russia.