“Russia will not perish, but Ukraine will disappear”. Lukashenko commented on rumors about a ‘dirty bomb’ in Kyiv’s arsenal

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Russia would not perish if Zelensky were to drop a “dirty bomb” on Moscow, but it would retaliate in such a way that Ukraine would cease to exist.

He made this comment while addressing rumors circulating in Russia that Ukraine already possesses a “dirty bomb.”

“[Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelensky isn’t as bold as he sometimes seems. ‘I’ll create a nuclear bomb, I’ll strike the Kremlin…’. Listen, he’s not that brave. To press the red button, you need a certain level of courage. That’s the first thing. Secondly, you have to think about what happens next. So, he pressed the button—then what? Will Russia collapse because you dropped a ‘dirty bomb’ even on Moscow? No, Russia won’t die, but it will strike back so hard that Ukraine will disappear,” Lukashenko said.

A “dirty bomb” is a container filled with radioactive isotopes and an explosive charge. When detonated, the container is destroyed, and the radioactive material is dispersed over a wide area by the blast wave. This type of weapon of mass destruction uses ionizing radiation from radioactive materials as the primary damaging factor. It can be made from various materials depending on their properties. One variant of a “dirty bomb” could involve the deliberate explosion of a non-military installation containing radioactive materials.

The latest wave of rumors about a “dirty bomb” was fueled by Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine faces a choice between NATO membership or developing a nuclear bomb. Zelensky later denied that Ukraine was preparing to create nuclear weapons.