Russian soldiers wear chemical protection suits as they stand next to a military fueler on the Topol intercontinental ballistic missile base. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP
Reuters: Russian forces "preparing to work under radioactive contamination" - Moscow
LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday that it had prepared its forces to work in conditions of radioactive contamination, after Moscow accused Ukraine of planning to detonate a "dirty bomb" - something Kyiv has strongly denied.
After weeks of rising international tension following threats by President Vladimir Putin to defend Russia's "territorial integrity" with nuclear weapons, it was the first concrete statement from Moscow of a change in its forces' state of preparedness.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Western defence ministers on Sunday that Moscow believed Ukraine was preparing to detonate such a bomb - a device using conventional explosives packed with radioactive material to spread contamination over a wide area.
The head of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, told a media briefing on Monday the aim of such an attack would be to blame the resulting radioactive contamination on Russia by accusing it of detonating a low-grade nuclear weapon.
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WNU Editor: I am surprised by this statement from Moscow of a change in its forces' state of preparedness. I thought they were already at the highest state possible (short of war).
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