Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu alleged during a meeting with defence ministers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) that there is a “real threat of Ukraine creating a nuclear weapon”. He added that “NATO has turned Ukraine into a state hostile to Russia, making it an instrument of pressure on Moscow”.
Mr Shoigu also brought up the claim, first surfaced in March, that “a network of more than 30 biological laboratories involved in the US military biological programme was created [in Ukraine]”.
Hamish De Bretton-Gordon, a weapons expert from Cambridge University, told Express.co.uk that both these claims were likely “false flag nonsense that Russia could use to justify using their own CBRN”.
The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure defines CBRN as “the abbreviation commonly used to describe the malicious use of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear materials or weapons with the intention to cause significant harm or disruption”.
Prof Andrew Futter, a nuclear weapons expert from the University of Leicester, agreed that the allegation was likely a false claim.
He told Express.co.uk: “I don’t think there is any chance of Ukraine creating a nuclear weapon, and certainly not in a short space of time.
“I suspect this is just part of the information war that is going on.”
But he suggested that it might be a while yet until Vladimir Putin decides to press the red button.
Prof Futter added: “And I still hope we are a long way from Russian nuclear use in Ukraine.”
But if he did, he warned that “it would represent a massive escalation”.
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Putin has said of the weapon: “This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure the security of Russia from external threats and make those who, in the heat of aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country, think twice.”
This also comes after Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO’s support will make a direct conflict between the alliance and Moscow more likely, and could result in a “full-scale nuclear war”.
He said: “First, the pumping of Ukraine by NATO countries with weapons, the training of its troops to use Western equipment, the dispatch of mercenaries, and the conduct of exercises by the countries of the Alliance near our borders increase the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia instead of their ‘war by proxy’.
“Second, such a conflict always has the risk of turning into a full-fledged nuclear war.
“Third, this will be a catastrophic scenario for everyone.”
