The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that Ukraine is preparing a provocation near Transnistria using radioactive materials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs refers to reports from Ukrainian media and telegram channels that reported the arrival of a certain radioactive cargo at the port of Odessa. What they write about this in social networks, as well as how Chisinau and Kiev reacted to Moscow’s accusations – in the material of RTVI.
What was said in Russia
March 1, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova urged international organizations to pay “very great attention” to information that “containers with radioactive substances and inscriptions in English were delivered to the ports of the Odessa region”.
The diplomat referred to data from Ukrainian media, websites and social networks that on February 16 the containers arrived at the port of Chornomorsk from Europe “bypassing customs clearance”. Three days later, on February 19, a dry cargo ship delivered containers “containing the radioactive substance California-252” to the port of Odessa, while the port’s radioactive monitoring system was turned off, Zakharova claims.
Valery Sharifulin / TASS
The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry referred to a journalistic investigation, according to which the supplier of the radioactive substance is the American company Frontier Technology Corp., which produces containers for radioactive isotopes.
“Ukrainian bloggers expressed fears that we could talk about some components for equipping ammunition and even making a dirty bomb,” Zakharova said.
She noted that the ports of Odessa in question participate in the “grain agreement”. In addition, the Foreign Ministry is concerned that the events are taking place near Transnistria, “around which the Kiev regime is deliberately intensifying tension.”
“We call on relevant international organizations to pay particular attention to this information. We warn the Kiev regime and its Western sponsors against any reckless action that endangers the lives and health of thousands of civilians,” Zakharova said.
Moldova and Ukraine have denied the accusations
The Moldovan government said that “state institutions are monitoring the situation and do not confirm the information disseminated by the Russian side”.
“Regarding recent statements that again mention the Transnistrian region of our country, we do not comment on lies and speculation,” said in the message.
The official representative of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, tweeted that reports that Ukraine received radioactive materials for provocation were false. “Ukraine is strictly committed to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” the statement said.
What they wrote on social networks
The Telegram channel “Typicalnaya Odessa” reported on February 19 that “something was delivered to one of the ports of Odessa that changed the radiation background”, while the port’s radiation scanners were turned off. After that, several people who were in contact with the cargo reportedly fell ill, according to the publication.
Blogger Anatoly Shariy also wrote about the arrival of the container at the port of Chernomorsk. According to him, “it was at that time, we do not know why it was necessary to turn off the Yantar radioactive monitoring system”.
Later, Shariy said that when any radioactive cargo arrives by sea, the X-ray systems must be turned off, “otherwise they will just sound an alarm and the port will have to be closed until the circumstances are clarified. “.
Information about radioactive containers in the ports of Odessa was also broadcast through the Pridnestrovets telegram channel. The representative of the chairman of the Odessa regional military administration, Sergei Bratchuk, called the data on the container from Chornomorsk false.
What did the Ministry of Defense warn about?
In February, the Russian Ministry of Defense made several statements regarding allegedly prepared provocations by Ukraine and the United States, including with chemicals:
February 19 Military Department reported that Ukraine is going to stage the contamination of the area in the area of one of the dangerous radiation installations which are under the control of Kiev, and blame Russia for this. For this, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, containers with radioactive substances that have arrived in Ukraine from Europe will be used, bypassing customs clearance. Four days later, on February 23, the Ministry of Defense warned that Ukraine was preparing a “staged invasion” of Transnistria with the participation of servicemen dressed in Russian uniforms. The Moldovan authorities have not confirmed this information. On February 28, Igor Kirillov, head of the radiation, chemical and biological defense troops of the Russian Armed Forces, announced that the United States planned to stage a provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals. According to Kirillov, for this purpose, a train arrived in Kramatorsk, a car loaded with chemicals from which was towed to the territory of the Kramatorsk Metallurgical Plant. Kuibyshev.
Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly refuted Russian authorities’ claims of possible provocations.
