2024-08-20 02:00:31
Moscow: The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is now increasing continuously. The Ukrainian army has now entered inside Russia, which has shaken Putin. Meanwhile, Russia has claimed that Ukraine can attack with a dirty bomb. In several reports, Russian military correspondents have reported that Ukraine is allegedly preparing a nuclear provocation, including a ‘dirty bomb’ in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Military correspondent Marat Khairulin has also made a related claim earlier on his Telegram channel. He said that Ukraine is planning to attack the storage sites of nuclear fuel used in nuclear power plants. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Friday rejected Russian claims of attacking nuclear power plants with dirty bombs. According to reports, the Ukrainian army is planning to attack the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant. A spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called these claims crazy Russian propaganda. This is not the first time Russia has claimed planning a dirty bomb attack on Ukraine. Earlier in October 2022 also it was said from Russia that Ukraine was planning a dirty bomb attack.
What is a dirty bomb?
A dirty bomb is a weapon that contains radioactive material like uranium, which disintegrates in the air with an explosion. The purpose of these weapons is only to spread dangerous radiation, so they do not require very pure radioactive material like a nuclear bomb. Instead, radioactive material from hospitals, nuclear power stations or research centers can be used to make these bombs. Making a dirty bomb is much cheaper and faster than nuclear weapons. For example, even if it is placed in a vehicle and exploded, its damage will be terrible.
How does the damage occur?
Radioactive radiation can cause serious diseases such as cancer. An attack is terrifying for a targeted population. Apart from the explosion, the radiation will spread far and wide, so even areas where the explosion has not taken place will have to be evacuated. The Federation of American Scientists has calculated that if just 9 grams of cobalt-60 and 5 kg of TNT are detonated in Manhattan, New York, it will make the entire city uninhabitable for decades. However, these are very unreliable as weapons. The radioactive material of a dirty bomb has to be ground into powder to be spread across the area.