Ben Wallace rejects Russian claim West colluded with Ukraine over 'dirty bomb' after call with Sergei Shoigu

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British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace refuted Moscow's claims that Ukraine was planning to use a 'dirty bomb', in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

Mr. Shoigu had a series of calls with his NATO counterparts in the United States, France and Turkey on Sunday. His ministry said he had told them about Russian concerns that Kyiv was plotting to detonate a device containing radioactive material.

In his call with Mr. Wallace, the Russian Defense Secretary said claimed that the West was facilitating these actions to escalate Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defense said.

Mr. Wallace refuted the allegations and warned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for further escalation, in an exchange requested by Moscow and described as "professional and respectful" on both sides, according to the Ministry of defense.

He reiterated to Mr Shoigu the UK's desire to de-escalate the conflict and said Britain "stands ready to assist" Ukraine and Russia in the search for a solution to the nearly eight-month war, the ministry said.

Along with reports on diplomatic exchanges, Russian media claimed - without evidence - that the creation of a "dirty bomb" was in its final stages and that Kyiv was receiving nuclear components from British specialists .

The calls provide reassurance that Russia and NATO members are actively maintaining channels of communication at a time when the international community is increasingly concerned about a possible nuclear escalation, after Mr Putin raised the specter of such a response as he sought to illegally annex four Ukrainian regions last month.

Russian President - reeling from a series of counter -dramatic Ukrainian offensives- had threatened that Moscow would resort to nuclear weapons if necessary to defend its "territorial integrity", seeking to include the Ukrainian regions of Donestk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in this tranche.