Western Nations Dismiss Russian Claim Ukraine Will Use a ‘Dirty Bomb’

Western Nations Dismiss Russian Claim Ukraine Will Use a ‘Dirty Bomb’

Western countries on Monday said they rejected Russia's accusation¹ that Ukraine plans to use a "dirty bomb."

A dirty bomb is a bomb that includes radioactive material but is not a nuclear bomb.

Russia's Defense² Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke³ with Western foreign ministers on Sunday. He said Russia suspected Ukraine of planning to use a dirty bomb in a part of the country held by Russian forces.

Ukrainian military forces have recently started fighting in the Russian-held Kherson area. As a result, Russia has moved civilians⁴ out of the area.

The U.S., Britain, and France said they rejected Russia's concerns about a radioactive bomb.

They called Russia's statement that Ukraine would use a bomb with nuclear material within its own borders "false." The group called Shoigu's statement a "pretext⁵ for escalation⁶."

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "if Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something it means one thing: Russia has already prepared this."

He called Russia "the source of everything dirty that can be imagined in this war."

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, said "their disbelief doesn't mean there's no threat ... the threat is evident."

Russia told people who live in the area it controls on the western side of the Dnieper River to leave over concerns that fighting will increase.

Ukrainian fighters have been moving into the area after Russia claimed the territory as its own earlier in October.

Experts said, if Russia were to lose the territory, it would be one of its biggest defeats of the war.

The Kherson area leaders, put in place by Russia, said that any Ukrainian men who stay behind may be put into a Russian military group. Ukrainian leaders said this is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

Kyrylo Budanov is Ukraine's spy chief. He said Russian forces are preparing to defend Kherson, not leave it. He said reports that the city was being evacuated⁹ were not true.

He said Russia is reinforcing its military in the area but moving civilians, injured people, and important equipment away from the city.

The war in Ukraine has intensified¹⁰ recently as Russian forces suffered setbacks in September. Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has put more men into battle, claimed parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian soldiers and launched more long-distance missiles. Some of the weapons have hit power stations, leaving many Ukrainians without electricity as the long winter nears.

Words in This Story

pretext –n. a reason that a person gives to hide the real reason that person has for doing something

escalate¹¹ –v. to increase the severity or intensity¹² of a situation

allege⁷ –v. to state without definite proof that someone has done something wrong or illegal

evacuate⁸ –v. to move or be moved out of an area because of the threat of danger

1 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

6 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

7 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

8 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

9 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

10 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

12 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。