Ukraine news LATEST: Western leaders slam Russia’s ‘dirty bomb’ claim as Putin makes thinly-veiled nuclear threat

WESTERN leaders have come together to slam Russian claims that Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb” on its own territory.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian claims that Ukraine could use a so-called “dirty bomb” on its own people are entirely false, and simply a pretext for further escalation from Putin. So-called “dirty bombs” are designed to spread radioactive waste across large civilian areas, without a nuclear explosion.

“If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this,” Zelensky said in a video address.

In response to these claims, the foreign ministers of Britain, the US and France shared a joint statement stating they “all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory.”

These accusations arose as Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made several calls to Western leaders over the weekend, alleging the Kremlin believes an attack could happen soon.

Read our Ukraine-Russia live blog below for the latest updates…