Moscow’s Psychological Warfare Against Kyiv
Moscow’s Psychological Warfare Against Kyiv: Moscow accuses Kyiv of using a dirty bomb. Tensions are rising, and Emmanuel Macron asks Pope Francis to contact Putin and Biden. On October 25, Russia took its complaint against Ukraine, which Moscow claims is planning an attack with dirty bombs, to the United Nations Security Council. Vasily Nebenzya, Moscow’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote in a letter to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, and the Security Council, ‘We will consider the use of dirty bombs by the Kyiv regime as an act of nuclear terrorism.’
In a joint statement, Washington, London, and Paris declared that no one is fooled by Moscow’s lies and suggested that Russia itself might detonate a so-called dirty bomb in Ukraine to justify escalating military tensions. A dirty bomb is a type of explosive weapon enriched with radioactive materials, capable of contaminating its surroundings with radiation for several kilometers.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s forces continue to launch cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities and strike the country’s energy infrastructure, especially power plants and electrical grids, using Iranian-made Shahed drones. On October 24, the port of Mykolaiv, about thirty kilometers from the front line and under Ukrainian control, was attacked several times, while in Kherson, after the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians, the Russian army is organizing to respond to Ukraine’s advance.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg explained that the accusation that Ukraine is preparing to use dirty bombs on its own soil is baseless and part of a plan previously seen in Syria and at the start of the war in Ukraine. He added that Russia accuses others to carry out what it intends to do itself, and this is concerning.
Dirty Bomb Warning
To verify the accuracy and truthfulness of the allegations against Kyiv, and more importantly, to confirm that Ukraine does not intend to build or use dirty bombs on its soil, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency will soon arrive in the country. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter that the International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to send its inspectors to Ukraine in the coming days to visit two sites at Kyiv’s request. He also added that our good cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and its partners allows us to defeat Russia’s misinformation campaign about the dirty bomb.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, points out that the agency inspected one of these sites a month ago and found no undeclared nuclear activities or materials there. The International Atomic Energy Agency announced that two power plants, which Grossi did not name, are regularly visited by agency inspectors and added that the agency has received a written request from Ukraine to send inspectors.
Several observers agree that Moscow’s accusations are part of a strategy aimed at instilling fear among the Ukrainian people and preventing the delivery of weapons by Kyiv’s allies. General Dominique Trinquand told Le Monde that Moscow’s accusations are to hide the Russian army’s defeat in the south, particularly in the Kherson region.
What Will Be the Outcome of the Pope’s Call for Dialogue?
The weekly Le Point quoted Emmanuel Macron as saying, ‘I asked Pope Francis to contact Vladimir Putin and the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, as well as Joe Biden.’ Meanwhile, Moscow has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to Pope Francis to call on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, and U.S. President Joe Biden to support the peace process in Ukraine.
The French president said, ‘We need the United States to sit at the table to promote the peace process in Ukraine.’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded by saying, ‘If all this is truly in line with efforts to find reasonable and achievable solutions, we view it positively.’
However, he emphasized that Macron has not said anything about who will contact Zelensky to discuss the Ukrainian legal framework, which currently prohibits any negotiations with the Russian side. Peskov added that the Russians are ready to discuss all issues with the Americans, the French, and the Pope and reiterated, ‘Once again, I repeat, Russia is ready for any contact.’
Marshall Plan for Ukraine
The policy of appeasement with Russia would be a bad policy, and anyone who follows this path will lead Europe to decline. These are the words of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference held on October 25 in Berlin. If Ukraine does not win this war, Europe will suffer much more than Ukraine. He also continued that the risk is that Europe will be marginalized in a world where only strong players count. Morawiecki believes that Russia should be held accountable for this war and pay reparations.
To support Ukraine’s reconstruction, Europe will pay one and a half billion euros to this country monthly. In Berlin, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that the war in Ukraine is also this continent’s war. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the host of the conference, said the stakes of this game are nothing less than creating a new Marshall Plan for the 21st century. A few hours after the start of the conference, the World Bank announced a payment of 500 million dollars for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the start of negotiations with Moscow, and in his view, from the beginning, it was not a dialogue but a long series of ultimatums imposed by force by Putin. In an interview with Corriere della Sera, he explained that the Russians claim they came to defend those who speak Russian, but in reality, the worst violence occurred in Kharkiv, Mariupol, and in areas where Russian culture and language are predominant. He added, ‘I have always wanted to negotiate and talk, but not with a gun pointed at my head.’
If Russia’s strategy in accusing Ukraine of using a dirty bomb is to discredit Kyiv in the eyes of its Western allies, it has little chance of success. Moscow’s reputation for any accusation it makes being seen by a large part of the international community as nothing more than mere propaganda persists. At the same time, there is little likelihood that an attack with a dirty bomb under a false flag would genuinely serve as a pretext for a nuclear response from Russia, and even if it happens, no one will blame Ukraine.
Currently, Russia’s warnings are just noise, a distraction that diverts attention from Ukraine’s positions in the Kherson region. However, this highlights the crucial role of international institutions, and most importantly, the International Atomic Energy Agency, in preventing a verbal war from escalating into nuclear tensions.
- Iran Gate Report on the Plot Russia Drew for Iran
- Putin Chose to Escalate Tensions
