Russia May Use ‘Dirty Bomb’ Pretext to Escalate Ukraine War, Western Countries Warn

A Ukrainian tank moves near the front line in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Oct. 21, 2022. Carl Court/Getty Images

The United States, the UK, and France have rejected Russia’s allegation that Ukraine is planning to use a so-called dirty bomb in the ongoing conflict and have accused the Kremlin of trying to use the allegation as a pretext for further escalation.

As Ukrainian forces advance into Russian-occupied Kherson Province, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu phoned Western counterparts on Oct. 23 to tell them that Moscow suspected Kyiv of planning to use a “dirty bomb.”