Russia repeats accusation that Kyiv is building a "dirty" nuclear bomb. The US political scientist Fettweis calls this claim "crazy". After all, Ukraine would be contaminating its own territory.
Russia has renewed its accusation that Ukraine is working on a so-called dirty bomb. Ukraine is "in the final phase" of manufacturing, said Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who is in charge of radioactive, biological and chemical substances in the Russian army, on Monday. The accusation was made by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday. Ukraine and Western supporters vehemently reject him.
A dirty nuclear bomb explodes with a conventional explosive device, but in doing so releases radioactive material into the surrounding area. This can be, for example, cesium 137, strontium 90, cobalt 60 or plutonium. For such a bomb, radioactive material is sufficient in quantities such as those used in medical research or in industry. It is technically much easier to produce than atomic bombs and has a significantly lower destructive power.
With a conventional atomic bomb, which uses a nuclear explosive device, the atomic explosion primarily releases an enormous amount of thermal energy and mechanical kinetic energy. Depending on their size, their direct destructive power can reach many kilometers. The radioactivity that escapes is initially of no importance for military purposes.
In contrast, with a dirty atomic bomb, however, this radioactive contamination is the target of the explosion. It distributes the radioactive material in the form of pellets or powder in the atmosphere. The extent to which the explosion area is and remains contaminated depends not only on the amount of radioactive material but also on its half-life.
Cobalt-60 has a half-life of five years, so it loses its radioactive strength much faster than cesium-137, which was released in the 1980s by the Chernobyl reactor accident and has a half-life of 30 years.
But even for cesium-137, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection estimated in a 2018 statement that the strength of the radioactive radiation outside the immediate sphere of action of the explosion was so low "that special radiation protection measures, such as staying indoors or even evacuating would be required".
The radiation protection experts assessed the danger from plutonium-239 differently. The deadly power of this radioactive material is therefore much stronger "than all other nuclides to be considered". Scenarios are conceivable for plutonium-239 that could necessitate emergency response "in the immediate vicinity up to a few kilometers away".
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was much more concerned about the dangers of a "dirty bomb" almost 20 years ago. Accordingly, although it would hardly cause any immediate deaths, it would contaminate the surrounding area. For a long time there would be uncertainty as to whether long-term health effects would have to be feared. Evacuations would likely be necessary.
To date, a "dirty bomb," as it's known internationally, has never been used in a military conflict, US political scientist Christopher Fettweis told Newsweek on Sunday. So far, international security experts have seen the potential danger of such a bomb as being that terrorists could use it to target large cities and trigger panic there.
The radioactive dust thrown up by a bomb would be distributed according to the wind direction, and inhaling it would significantly increase the risk of cancer for the population. The dust would be bound by the rain and would stick to buildings and streets for a long time. On the other hand, if a radioactive dust cloud were to erupt over a wide, undeveloped area, the spread would increase, but the level of local contamination would be weaker.
On the battlefield, however, the military effectiveness of a "dirty bomb" would be low. The purpose of such a weapon is therefore primarily radioactive contamination. Fettweis regards the claim that Ukraine is planning to detonate a dirty bomb on its own territory as simply "crazy."
