What is another “dirty bomb”? Has anyone ever used it?

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Why even talk about the bomb?

on possible "provocations" by the "Kiev regime" RIA Novosti was the first to report . The agency cited "credible sources in various countries", including in Ukraine. According to them, Kyiv is preparing a provocation using nuclear weapons to blame Russia for this - and "thus launching a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world aimed at undermining confidence in Moscow." The publication says that the “dirty bomb” is being jointly manufactured by the Vostochny Mining and Processing Plant in the city of Zhovti Vody, Dnepropetrovsk region, and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv.

According to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Sergei Shoigu's claims are nothing new. “It is unlikely that the Kremlin is preparing a provocation with the use of a “dirty bomb”. Shoigu's statements are a continuation of a long-standing Russian information campaign,” the organization said in a summary on October 23. According to analysts, Russian propaganda uses the false thesis that Western countries can help Ukraine use weapons of mass destruction.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Ukraine is going to disguise the explosion as an "abnormal operation of a Russian low-yield nuclear weapon." The department noted that Kiev is going to increase the flow of refugees and accuse Russia of nuclear terrorism.

What is a "dirty bomb"? Is it the same as nuclear weapons?

No, these are different things. A "dirty bomb" is a low-yield munition that consists of a container of radioactive materials and an explosive charge. It is much easier to make such a bomb than a nuclear one - any state that has access to radioactive waste (its own nuclear power plants) can handle it. Simply put, a dirty bomb is the cheap equivalent of a nuclear weapon.

For the first time, the principle of the "dirty bomb" was described by science fiction writer Robert Heinlein in the story "Useless Solution" in 1940. When it explodes, radioactive substances are sprayed into the air and infect the area. The blast wave from such a bomb is less than from a nuclear weapon, and the damaging effect is achieved due to environmental pollution. People who are in the affected area develop radiation sickness.

For military purposes, the use of such a bomb is considered ineffective due to its small radius and delayed consequences, so a dirty bomb is usually classified as a terrorist weapon. The explosion of the "dirty bomb" is comparable to the consequences that the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant had on the adjacent territories, but to a lesser extent.

Has anyone actually used it yet?

No.

At various times, there were suggestions that wanted to develop Osama bin Laden was accused a dirty bomb, after which ISIS of such intentions. But this has never been confirmed.

In Russia, attempts to create a cheap analogue of nuclear weapons began in the 1950s. Then a rocket was developed , the head of which was refueled with a radioactive liquid. Tests were carried out at 71 training grounds in the Kerch region, Semipalatinsk, and also on Lake Ladoga. As combat equipment, it was supposed to use liquid military radioactive substances, consisting of radioactive waste from the nuclear industry, dissolved in reactive acids.

Whether Russia has such missiles now is unknown: officially, testing of radiological weapons was stopped in 1958.

In 1995, during the First Chechen War, weapons such as "dirty bombs" were threatened by Chechen fighters. Then, in Izmailovsky Park in Moscow, NTV correspondent Elena Masyuk found a container with cesium-137 ( a radioactive substance that can have a deadly effect on the human body. - Approx. "Cold" ). After that, the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev , said that this was "a tiny fraction of the radioactive substances that they have," but there were no terrorist attacks with such weapons.

How do countries react to Shoigu's warnings?

In talks with Shoigu, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned him that such statements should not be used as a pretext for further escalation. The Turkish Defense Ministry, in turn, said that Ankara is ready to help restore stability in the region.

The foreign ministers of the United States, Great Britain and France stressed that they do not believe the words of Sergei Shoigu. This is stated in their joint statement: “Our countries have made it clear that we all reject Russia's blatantly false claims that Ukraine is allegedly preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory. The world community will not be misled by any attempt to use this accusation as a pretext for escalation.”

In Kyiv, Shoigu's messages are also denied. Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said Ukraine "doesn't have any 'dirty bombs' and Russians often blame others for what they themselves are planning." President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky also said in his evening address that only Russia can use a “dirty bomb” in Ukraine.

Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War say that with such actions, Shoigu could try to convince NATO countries to weaken military assistance to Ukraine. However, the researchers emphasize that the likelihood that Moscow will decide to use nuclear weapons in order to later blame Kyiv for this remains low.

Have the Russian authorities prepared provocations before? Which?

In March, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of developing biological weapons "in close proximity to Russian borders." According to him, Kyiv, with the support of the Pentagon, created a network “of dozens of laboratories where military biological programs were carried out. Including experiments with samples of coronavirus, anthrax, African swine fever and other deadly diseases.” Distribute this "weapon", according to the Russian authorities, should have been birds, reptiles and bats.

On October 18, the commander of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin , said that Ukraine plans to launch a missile attack on the dam of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station in the annexed part of the Kherson region. The destruction of the dam can lead to flooding of a significant part of the coastal areas. Analysts believe that Russia is preparing to damage the dam on its own, and then blame Ukraine for what happened. Despite regular attempts to accuse Kyiv of provocations, not a single such statement by the Russian authorities has been independently confirmed.