The head of the Ministry of Defense of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, spoke with the defense ministers of France, Turkey and Great Britain. Earlier he communicated with the head of the Pentagon.
The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that Shoigu discussed with French Minister Sébastien Lecornu "the situation in Ukraine, which has a steady tendency to further, uncontrolled escalation."
The head of the Russian defense department told Lekornu about the so-called "dirty bomb" that, according to the Russians, Ukraine could use. Shoigu told Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar the same thing.
According to the Russian propaganda media, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation also spoke with his British colleague Ben Wallace — and again talked about the "dirty bomb".
The Ministry of Defense of Great Britain noted that the call was initiated by the Russian side, and Shoigu said during the conversation that Great Britain was supporting Ukraineʼs plans "to escalate" the war.
"The Defense Minister denied these claims and warned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for further escalation. The Minister of Defense also confirmed the support of Ukraine from Great Britain and the wider international community and the desire to de-escalate this conflict," the British Ministry of Defense said.
And on October 21, Shoigu communicated with the head of the Pentagon. This is evidenced by a message on the website of the US Ministry of Defense.
"On October 21, US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III held a telephone conversation with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Secretary of State Austin emphasized the importance of maintaining communication lines in the context of the ongoing war against Ukraine," the Pentagon said.
- Russian propagandists (and with them the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Shoigu) are spreading information that Ukraine is going to detonate a so-called "dirty bomb" on its territory, a nuclear weapon, and then blame it on Russia.
- The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with the BBC, said that Russia has begun to prepare its society for a nuclear strike, but added that he does not believe in the use of tactical nuclear weapons. US President Joe Biden also believes that Russia will not use nuclear weapons in a war with Ukraine.
- NATO says that Russiaʼs use of nuclear weapons "will almost certainly provoke a physical response" from Ukraineʼs allies, or from NATO as a whole. They emphasize that it will completely change the war. And on October 17, the North Atlantic Alliance began military exercises on nuclear deterrence called Steadfast Noon.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has said that his country will not use nuclear weapons in response if Russia launches a nuclear attack on Ukraine. Political opponents and experts began to criticize him for this.