Ukraine has already built a mock-up of the Russian Iskander missile to arrange a provocation with the use of a "dirty bomb," RIA Novosti reports with reference to an unnamed source.
According to the source of the agency, Kyiv allegedly planned to blow up a mock-up of the Russian missile stuffed with nuclear waste over the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Ukraine would then say that the shot down mockup was a "downed Russian missile”.
"After they shoot down the mock-up, the Kyiv authorities then intend to show the Western and Ukrainian media fragments of the mock-up and electronic elements of the alleged Iskander missile in order to convince the Western public that it is Russia that is guilty of what happened," the source said, RIA Novosti reports.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was aware of Ukraine's plans to use a "dirty bomb".
Representatives for the Defence Ministry of Russia also said that Kyiv had a scientific base at its disposal for building such a device. Ukraine may build such a bomb at the scientific base of the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology that used to be part of the Soviet nuclear program.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies rejected Russia's statements about Ukraine's intention to use a "dirty bomb" on its own territory to subsequently accuse Russia of the attack.