Russia’s claims that Ukraine could unleash a “dirty bomb” on its own territory have fuelled speculation that Moscow could be planning a false flag attack.

As its forces face a possible rout on the battlefield and Ukrainian troops close in on the key city of Kherson, senior Russian figures have been issuing wild allegations against Kyiv.

What are dirty bombs and how dangerous are they? Is all this just a cover for Russia’s plans to destroy the Nova Kakhovka dam and buy time for its withdrawing soldiers? Sky News takes a look at some of the key questions.

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What is a dirty bomb and is it a nuclear weapon?

A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device that has been laced with radioactive material.

Also known as a radiological dispersal device (RDD), it involves mixing explosives (eg dynamite) with radioactive powder or pellets.

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These materials are then spread over a wide area and can linger in the environment.

It’s important to note that this is not a nuclear weapon – it cannot create an atomic blast.

Nuclear weapon explosions result in the release of nuclear energy following a fission or fusion reaction.

How much damage could a dirty bomb cause?

There haven’t been any recorded instances of a dirty bomb being successfully detonated before, but there has been a considerable amount of discussion on their possible effects.

When such a device explodes, it sends radioactive material over a wide area.

The blast itself can cause damage and injury, but only people who are very close to the explosion would be exposed to enough radiation to cause immediate serious illness, the US’ Centres of Disease Control and Prevention says.

However, the radioactive dust and smoke can spread over a large area, contaminating the environment and posing a danger to health.

A good example of the effects of a possible dirty bomb detonation is the meltdown of reactor Number 4 at Chernobyl.

The 1986 disaster saw tens of thousands of people evacuated and a huge exclusion zone declared around the facility.

What has the Kremlin been saying?

Over the last couple of days Moscow has been warning that Ukraine is planning to use a dirty bomb on its own territory to cause destruction which it can then blame on Russia.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has been making the claims in calls with his counterparts in Britain, the USA, France and Turkey, pointing to the “rapidly deteriorating situation” in Ukraine.

Following widespread dismissal of the allegations by the West, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that Shoigu’s warning reflected a real threat.

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Are Russia’s claims about a dirty bomb just cover for its own attack?

The allegations about the dirty bomb come as Russian troops are retreating in southern Ukraine in an effort to escape being routed, with Ukrainian forces eyeing the recapture of Kherson city.

“What Mr Shoigu is doing is testing the waters for a probable false flag event of some description,” security expert Philip Ingram told Sky News.

“They know that if something with the nuclear word is used, the West will come down very, very hard with conventional support to help Ukrainian forces on the ground.”

The talk about a dirty bomb – which is not a nuclear weapon – represents a step down from previous rhetoric threatening the use of nuclear weapons as Russia tries to test Western red lines, Mr Ingram argued.

What about the Nova Kakhovka dam?

The Nova Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and dam is located in southern Ukraine, east of the city of Kherson, and generates significant quantities of electricity.

Asked what Russia might be planning, Mr Ingram said: “If I was to make a gut feeling call I would say it’s something to do with the Nova Kakhovka dam – either opening the floodgates or destroying the dam and trying to create a flood down into the Kherson area.”

This, he says, would result in huge flooding as the Dnipro river widens, restricting Ukraine’s ability to push forward and buying time for Russia’s newly called-up troops to be integrated into the military.

Ukraine’s military spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, has sought to play down the impact of such a strike, however.

He claimed it would only slow down his troops by around two weeks – and it would also backfire on Russia by flooding territory occupied by them.

Ukraine says Russian forces have mined the dam and are preparing to blow it up – while the Kremlin says the Ukrainians are planning to do the same thing.

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