Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during telephone conversations with his American , French, British and Turkish counterparts that "Ukraine has entered the final stage of making its dirty bomb."

During the conversation, Shoigu expressed his " concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine using a dirty bomb," an accusation that was categorically rejected by Kiev as well as its Western allies.

But, what is a " dirty bomb?" Are they classified under the category of nuclear weapons or under the list of weapons of mass destruction And why is this Russian fear that Ukraine has such a bomb

A "dirty bomb" is a conventional weapon and is a combination of explosive materials equipped with radioactive substances that spread into the air after detonation, which makes it dangerous for civilians, but its detonation does not produce nuclear fission or Fusion and does not cause massive destruction on a large scale.

The"dirty bomb" does not have the destructive effect of the nuclear explosion that resulted from the nuclear bomb dropped in nakasaki and the one that was dropped in Hiroshima, Japan, just before the end of World War II in 1945, when the detonation of the two bombs caused hundreds of thousands of victims, in addition to the destruction of vast areas of land due to radioactive contamination.

Thus, a "dirty bomb" cannot be compared with a nuclear bomb, which produces an explosion millions of times more powerful, and spreads a cloud of radiation over thousands of square kilometers, while the radiation caused by a "dirty bomb" can spread only within an area not exceeding a few square kilometers.

The greatest danger of a"dirty bomb" is caused by the explosion, not radiation, as people who are very close to the explosion site are exposed to enough radiation to cause serious illness, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which adds: radioactive dust and smoke can travel further so that they pose a health hazard if you inhale dust and eat contaminated food or water

The said American Council adds that the level of contamination caused by the "dirty bomb" depends on the size of the explosives, the quantity and type of radioactive material used, the means of propagation, and weather conditions, and draws attention to the fact that those who are closest to the place of the explosion are most susceptible to injury, stressing that radioactive materials lose their effect and damage as they move away from the explosion center.

Radiation can be easily detected using equipment already carried by many workers in the emergency sector, and prompt detection of the type of radioactive materials used contributes to significantly reducing the number of victims and the extent of damage.

It is worth noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Moscow's accusations about Kiev's readiness for provocations through the use of a "dirty bomb", and said on social networking sites yesterday: "if Russia says that Ukraine is preparing for something, it means one thing.. Russia has already prepared all this.. I think the world should