Russia Launches “Ukraine’s Nuclear Weapons” Information Operation for Unknown Reasons

Russian intelligence services, government officials, and state-controlled propaganda outlets have launched a new information campaign about alleged “Ukrainian nuclear weapons.”

This follows statements from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service and reports by Kremlin-controlled media.

According to TASS, Russia’s State Duma has signed and sent an open letter to British and French lawmakers, calling for an “impartial investigation” into alleged plans to provide nuclear weapons to Kyiv.

At the same time, Russian officials have issued warnings about the risk of a nuclear conflict, while claiming that such a conflict must be prevented.

On February 24 – the anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – the SVR published a statement alleging that France and the United Kingdom are planning to transfer a nuclear bomb to Ukraine.

Russian intelligence also claims that, in addition to nuclear weapons, the two European countries could assist in creating a “dirty bomb” and developing delivery systems for it.

After the statement by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, which provided no evidence that London and Paris are preparing to transfer nuclear weapons to Kyiv, various government bodies and officials started issuing public comments.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that “such extremely dangerous plans by London and Paris demonstrate their loss of a sense of reality.”

The Federation Council of Russia sent appeals through diplomatic channels to the parliaments of the United Kingdom and France, as well as to the European Parliament, the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, commenting on the SVR statement, said that if nuclear or radiological weapons are transferred to Kyiv, Russia would strike Ukraine and the supplying countries with any weapons at its disposal.

Russian officials have been making claims about “Ukrainian nuclear weapons” since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

These statements are occasionally repeated by representatives of the Russian authorities and state propaganda media.