Ukraine making nuclear "dirty bomb, Russia says
Russian media cited an unnamed
source on Sunday as saying that Ukraine was close to building a plutonium-based
"dirty bomb" nuclear weapon, although the source cited no evidence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
ordered an invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, with the aim to
"demilitarise" and "denazify" its pro-Western neighbour and
prevent Kyiv from joining NATO.
The West, dismissing that
rationale as a pretext, has responded with harsh sanctions on Moscow and heavy
military and other aid to Kyiv.
The TASS, RIA and Interfax news
agencies quoted "a representative of a competent body" in Russia on
Sunday as saying Ukraine was developing nuclear weapons at the destroyed
Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was shut down in 2000.
Ukraine's government has said it
had no plans to rejoin the nuclear club, having given up its nuclear arms in
1994 following the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Shortly before the invasion,
Putin said in a grievance-filled speech that Ukraine was using Soviet know-how
to create its own nuclear weapons, and that this was tantamount to preparation
for an attack on Russia.
He cited no evidence for his
claim.
