Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Vassily Nebenzia, has informed the Security Council that his country believes Ukraine is planning to use a dirty bomb as a provocation.
Nebenzia has been urging the UN Chief, Antonio Guterres, to do all in his power to prevent a heinous crime from happening.
He has also warned in a letter to the council that the Russian Federation will regard Kyiv’s use of the “dirty bomb” as an act of nuclear terrorism.
The issue is likely to be raised behind closed doors in the Council, later on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the Russian assertion saying it was a sign Moscow was planning such an attack itself before blaming Ukraine.
The foreign ministers of France, Britain and the United States earlier rejected the claim as “transparently false” suggesting rather that it was a pretext for further escalation.
The US State Department has warned of severe consequences that would result from nuclear use.
A dirty bomb contains radioactive material, like uranium, which scatters through the air when the bomb explodes.
Reassess cooperation
Last week, Russia threatened to reassess its cooperation with the UN Secretariat if experts are sent to Ukraine to inspect drones western nations claim Iran supplied to Moscow in violation of a Security Council resolution.
Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador told reporters after a closed-door Security Council meeting, that the allegations of Iranian drones were baseless, and that the Kremlin’s drone capabilities should not be underestimated.
Iran also categorically denied it had supplied drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine. A
UN spokesperson said the Secretariat was ready to examine and analyze any information brought to it by member states.
VIDEO: Correspondent at the United Nations Sherwin Bryce-Pease shares more on the story:
