No Evidence of Russia, Ukraine Planning 'Dirty' Bombs: Pentagon

Amidst mutual accusations that Russia and Ukraine are planning to employ small nuclear weapons, also called 'dirty' bombs, the Pentagon on Tuesday asserted that there was no evidence of the same.

Russia's ambassador to the U.S. warned about catastrophic risk if the Ukraine pursues a dirty bomb – a conventional explosive device laced with toxic nuclear material – to use against Russian troops there. Dirty bombs are designed to spread toxic waste, not to create city-flattening atomic explosions. Economic damage from usage of dirty bombs could be massive, from having to evacuate urban areas or even abandon whole cities. Health risks would be limited if people in the affected areas are evacuated quickly, before they are exposed to lethal doses of radiation.

“I will say that again, from a U.S. standpoint, the allegations that Ukraine is building a dirty bomb, or false. We have not seen at this time, though any indication that Russia has made a decision or intends to employ nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb, but again, it's something that we'll continue to watch closely. And certainly, as others have said, there would be consequences for Russia, whether it uses a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb,” said Department of Defense Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder.

When asked about what consequences Russia will face if it uses a dirty bomb and if Moscow knows about it, Gen. Ryder said, “I think that the U.S. Government writ large has communicated to Russia the concerns that we have with the language that we've seen the nuclear saber rattling, as well as condemning these false allegations that Ukraine is building a dirty bomb, in terms of what those consequences may be. I'm not going to get into that. But needless to say, that has been communicated at a variety of levels.”

He added that the U.S. maintains a variety of capabilities to include technical means that are constantly monitoring for any detonations involving any kind of radioactive or nuclear material.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III also participated in phone conversations yesterday with Ukraine's Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikoff and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine to include Russia's false accusation that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb.