India on Wednesday cautioned Russia against the use of nuclear weapons after it expressed concern over the use of “dirty bomb” by Ukraine.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s caution came when his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu called him up and expressed the apprehension of Ukraine using the dirty bomb against Russia in the ongoing conflict which has escalated. Singh also called for resolving the issue through dialogue and diplomacy.
A “dirty bomb” is a radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary James Cleverly too had on Tuesday discussed the issue after Russia claimed Ukraine was planning to use the “dirty bomb”, and took the issue to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Shoigu had requested for the talks with Rajnath and both the Ministers discussed bilateral defence co-operation as well as the deteriorating situation in Ukraine. The Russian Defence Minister briefed his Indian counterpart on the evolving situation in Ukraine, including his concerns about possible provocations through use of “dirty bomb”, Defence Ministry officials said.
Rajnath reiterated India’s position on the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy for an early resolution of the conflict. He pointed out that the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side as the prospect of the usage of nuclear or radiological weapons goes against the basic tenets of humanity. Both Ministers agreed to remain in touch.
Russia has claimed Ukraine is plotting to use “dirty bomb” against its forces, an allegation that was dismissed by Kyiv and the West as misinformation and a pretext for intensifying the war. Shoigu had underlined the charge of the “dirty bomb” in his calls over the last weekend to his British, French, Turkish and US counterparts. He also called his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on Wednesday.
Russia also hinted that it may be forced to use a tactical nuclear weapon against Ukraine if Kyiv drops a “dirty bomb”. Responding to the Russian tactical nuclear threat, US President Joe Biden said any nuclear attack would be a “serious mistake”. Russia would be making an incredibly serious mistake were it to use a tactical nuclear weapon, he said.
The US suspects Russia might itself use a “dirty bomb” in a “false flag” attack, possibly to justify the use of conventional nuclear weapons by Moscow. “I’m not guaranteeing that it’s a false flag operation yet. We don’t know,” Biden added.
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Ukraine has asked Indian nationals to leave the country at the earliest in view of fresh wave of hostilities. It was the second advisory in the last one week.
