IAEA, "No Evidence of Ukraine Dirty Bomb Claimed by Russia... Inspection Completed"

IAEA Secretary-General: "No Undeclared Nuclear Activities"
Ukraine: "Russia, the World's Greatest Liar" Harshly Criticized

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that after inspecting all the suspected sites of Ukraine's Dirty Bomb production claimed by Russia, no evidence was found, and the inspection has been concluded. As Russia's credibility in the international community is expected to further decline, Ukraine is fiercely condemning Russia's false claims being exposed.

On the 3rd (local time), the IAEA stated in a press release that it inspected all three facilities pointed out by the Russian government as suspected Dirty Bomb production sites in Ukraine: the Kyiv Nuclear Research Institute, the Eastern Mineral Processing Facility in central Ukraine's Zhovti Vody, and the Pivdenmash Machine Plant in the south-central Dnipro region, but found no evidence.

A Dirty Bomb is a weapon that combines conventional explosives with radioactive materials. While it does not have the destructive power of a nuclear explosion, it is known as a dispersal weapon that can contaminate a wide area with radiation. Since the 27th of last month, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Kremlin have simultaneously raised suspicions about Ukraine manufacturing Dirty Bombs and urged the IAEA to conduct a prompt inspection.

In response to Russia's claims, Ukraine also immediately requested an inspection from the IAEA. The IAEA dispatched inspection teams to the three locations, and inspections have been ongoing since the 1st. The IAEA investigators on site collected samples and used ultra-sensitive analytical techniques to check for any nuclear-related activities or traces of handling nuclear materials but found no indications.

The IAEA explained, "Over the past few days, the inspectors were able to carry out all planned activities and were granted free access to the suspected sites," adding, "Our verification results did not find any signs of undeclared nuclear activities or nuclear materials."

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, also emphasized, "We have confirmed that no undeclared nuclear activities exist, and we are prepared to continue verification activities if necessary to prevent the misuse of nuclear materials."

Immediately after the inspection results, Ukraine fiercely condemned Russia's false claims. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a press conference following the IAEA's announcement, "Russia has confirmed its status as the world's greatest liar," and expressed gratitude for the IAEA's swift cooperation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.