putin nuclear ukraine world war dirty bomb

Russian President Vladimir Putin had his troops invade Ukraine on February 24. After 8 months of war, tens of thousands of dead, half-destroyed cities and starving, tortured and killed children, women and old people are warning the former Soviet partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) that the world is on the brink of global conflict.

Almost as if he had not been the one who started a war, the one in Ukraine, which, according to his intentions, should have lasted a few days and in reality plunges the world into a possible catastrophe. Even nuclear. And Putin shows that he noticed. But the fault lies with the West and the Ukrainians, he said. “The potential for conflict in the world as a whole, as well as at the regional level, remains very high. New risks and challenges for collective security are emerging, mainly due to a sharp escalation of the global geopolitical confrontation”.

Photo Ansa / Epa Alexei Babouchkine

Putin made these statements at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Security Agencies and Special Services of the CIS countries. The Tass news agency reports. “Ukraine has become an instrument of American foreign policy – declared the Russian president – and has practically lost its sovereignty”. Today, of course, part of Ukraine, about 20% of its territory, is under the control of Moscow’s occupying forces.

Putin and nuclear exercises

In this general contentment, the head of the Kremlin signed a decree extending until December 31 restrictions on trade in certain types of products and raw materials with countries said to be hostile to Russia. Vladimir Putin also attended exercises by Russian “strategic deterrent forces”. According to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, “practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles have taken place”. And “Tu-95M aircraft were used to launch air-launched cruise missiles.”

NATO: “Ready to answer you”

Receiving the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca in Brussels, the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, indirectly replied to Putin. “He loses on the ground and responds with attacks on civilians and nuclear rhetoric,” Stoltenberg said. Russia “does not use false pretenses for escalation. NATO will not be intimidated in its support “for Ukraine and will stand up for all Allies”.

NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg. Photo Ansa / Epa Stéphanie Lecocq

According to Ukraine, 11 civilians have died and 14 others have been injured in the past 24 hours due to Russian attacks. Tens of thousands of civilians reportedly left their homes “within a week” in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine after pro-Russian occupation authorities began evacuating on October 19. “I’m sure more than 70,000 people left in a week,” Vladimir Saldo, head of the pro-Russian administration, told Krym 24 TV live.

Putin and the Dirty Bomb

Vladimir Putin also mentioned in his speech the so-called dirty bomb that Ukraine is about to launch against the Russians. Ukraine, for its part, refutes the accusations and points the finger at Moscow. America, now embroiled in the war through massive military aid to kyiv, intervenes. If Russia uses a dirty bomb or other types of weapons, including nuclear weapons, in Ukraine, “there will be consequences,” Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said during a press briefing.

What dirty bomb is Putin talking about? It is a radiological dispersal device that combines traditional explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive materials. However, it is not a true nuclear weapon nor is it classified as a weapon of mass destruction. In English, it is called Rdd, Radiological Dispersal Devices. In Italian, it is also called “radiological weapon”. According to what was explained in Repubblica, most dirty bombs are incapable of releasing enough radioactive material to directly kill people or cause serious illness. But in some cases, the initial detonation of the contained conventional explosive can lead to death or injury as well as lethal consequences can have radiation and contamination of the surrounding air (hence the “dirty” attribute). These bombs can be both tiny and as big as pickup trucks.

Employee Kateryna Chyzhyk celebrates her birthday at a support center in Dnipro, Ukraine on October 25, 2022. More than 1,000 volunteers from the center organize and distribute food, medicine and other supplies to the armed forces of front line as well as to civilians. Photo Ansa / Epa Hannibal Hanschke