Russia-Ukraine war: UN nuclear watchdog starts investigation into 'dirty bomb' allegations

The United Nations nuclear watchdog said this week that it has started its investigation into Russia’s claims of Ukraine using a “dirty bomb.” The watchdog chief said that its inspectors will release its initial findings later this week.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement Monday that its inspectors started the investigation into the so-called probe into Russia’s claims of Ukraine producing a “dirty bomb.” The agency said the inspectors would later complete its probe into two areas in Ukraine.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he would provide the initial findings of the probe later this week, according to the statement, which also called on Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia to release an employee of the nuclear power plant.

The probe by the IAEA follows the request by Ukraine to send a team there, and the agency said last month that it inspected one of the two alleged locations and found “no undeclared nuclear activities or materials.”

Russia accused Ukraine of preparing to use dirty bombs against Russian troops. Authorities in Kyiv have denied the allegations, saying that it was Moscow’s attempt to distract attention from Moscow’s own plans to detonate a dirty bomb so it could justify its escalation of the war.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin called on the IAEA Thursday last week to conduct an investigation as soon as possible, claiming that Kyiv wanted to cover up its production of a dirty bomb. Putin also claimed at the time that he knew the location of where the construction was happening.

Moscow has also accused the United Kingdom of carrying out attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipeline, saying that it is also considering taking measures over what it claims to be an act of sabotage. Moscow has not provided evidence to back up its accusation.

The British government has dismissed the accusations by the Kremlin as false and that the allegations are designed to divert attention away from Russia’s military failures in Ukraine. The spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the claims were part of Russia’s usual tactics.

“It is right not to be drawn into these sorts of distractions which is part of the Russian playbook,” said Sunak’s spokesperson.