Russian claims Ukraine may use a “soiled bomb” within the battle have been branded “nuclear blackmail” and dismissed by the West.

With its forces going through a string of battlefield defeats and a threat of being routed within the south, the Kremlin has pushed allegations that Kyiv may use such a blast by itself territory – with out providing proof.

The UK, USA and France have rejected the claims as “transparently false” and mentioned the world would see by any try to make use of it as a pretext for escalation.

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It comes as Ukrainians are being requested to preserve electrical energy because the nation’s energy networks continue to be hammered by Russian missiles and drones.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu mentioned the “quickly deteriorating state of affairs” in Ukraine throughout telephone calls together with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, the ministry mentioned.

With out offering proof, he mentioned Ukraine may escalate through the use of a so-called “soiled bomb” – standard explosives laced with radioactive materials.

Ukraine doesn’t possess nuclear weapons, having given up those it inherited from the Soviet Union in 1994.

Russia, nonetheless, has mentioned it may shield its territory with its personal nuclear arsenal and has repeatedly engaged in nuclear sabre-rattling to antagonise the West.

Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov insisted that Shoigu’s warning mirrored an actual menace.

“Their mistrust of the data that has been offered by the Russian facet doesn’t suggest that the specter of utilizing such a grimy bomb does not exist,” Mr Peskov mentioned.

“Such a menace exists, and the defence minister has given the details about it to his interlocutors. It is as much as them whether or not to belief it or not.”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned “everybody understands” that Russia is “the supply of every part soiled that may be imagined on this battle”.

Talking on Telegram, he known as on the world to react within the “hardest potential approach.”

He added: “If Russia has ready one other spherical of elevating stakes and one other escalating step, it should see now, pre-emptively and earlier than any new ‘grime’, that the world won’t swallow that.”

Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov mentioned Moscow’s allegations have been “faux” and an act of “nuclear blackmail”.

In a joint assertion, the international ministers of the UK, USA and France mentioned: “Our nations made clear that all of us reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is making ready to make use of a grimy bomb by itself territory.

“The world would see by any try to make use of this allegation as a pretext for escalation.

“We additional reject any pretext for escalation by Russia.”