Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 17/05/2023
The war in Ukraine continues, along with fierce battles on the ground. A few days ago, Russian drones hit the city of Khmelnytskyi and apparently destroyed a large weapons depot. Kyiv Post writes that “critical infrastructure” was hit. Given the magnitude of the explosion, and the fire and smoke that followed, media outlets and social media users started developing the theory that a depot containing weapons with depleted uranium was hit, which, in fact, is a narrative that Ukraine possesses nuclear weapons.
Some of the headlines in the media include:
IMMINENT MAJOR DISASTER, RADIOACTIVE CLOUD ABOVE UKRAINE! RUSSIANS HIT AMMUNITIONS DEPOT WITH MISSILES, HIGH LEVEL OF RADIATION
RADIOACTIVE CLOUD ABOVE UKRAINE! Russians rocket Khmelnytskyi. High levels of gamma radiation recorded!
Social media users also write about radiation and claim that the explosion is stronger than the one in Chernobyl:
They say this explosion is stronger than the one that happened in Chernobyl… Avoid rain! Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine… Do not go outside if it rains and reduce outdoor activities in the coming days. RADIOACTIVE RAINS are expected (we still remember the Chernobyl rains and their consequences). There’s no need to panic or create tension. Just take care of yourself, your family, and your friends.
The city of Khmelnytskyi, western Ukraine, was hit a few hours ago (by a drone or something else that is still unknown) an English depot full of rockets and grenades with depleted uranium. “Radiation” reached Poland, Slovakia, Hungary… and here we are. Hopefully, the wind won’t blow this way.
Was a depot with depleted uranium hit?
There are currently no details or official data about the explosion, and there is a lack of sufficient information in relevant media outlets. Sky writes that the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that two weapons depots were hit, but there is no mention of depleted uranium or radiation. Business Insider also writes that “critical infrastructure” was hit. Novosti reports that an attack was carried out on a “military silo” and a “fireball” occurred. None of these statements mention radiation or depleted uranium.
The only analysis of the entire event currently available comes from Newsweek. Their team specifically addressed the claims that Ukraine has nuclear weapons, and that a depot with such weapons was destroyed.
On social media, the narrative that radiation levels are rising keeps circulating. This claim is refuted by the data from the European Commission, which states that the increase occurred 48 hours before the strike. Newsweek then contacted the International Atomic Energy Agency, from which they received the following response:
“The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that there has been no increase in the level of gamma radiation in the country’s western regions in recent days.”
This is currently the only official data from a relevant institution that the media have obtained, and it contradicts the theories of radiation and the destruction of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
The narrative about nuclear weapons in Ukraine emerged after the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who promised to send more weapons to Ukraine. Previously, there was talk of anti-tank ammunition that the British said they would send to the Ukrainians, which contains depleted uranium. This “alarmed” the Kremlin, but experts say that such projectiles retain some radioactive properties but cannot cause a nuclear reaction as nuclear weapons would.
Considering all of the above, the disputed posts receive the rating of “Disinformation.“
The “Disinformation” rating is given to a media report that contains a “mix”; of facts and incorrect or half-true content. In such cases, the media may not necessarily be aware of incorrect information being published alongside the true ones. Also, this grade will be given to media reports with false attributions or titles that do not reflect the text in terms of information accuracy.