Downing Street has dismissed as “untrue” Russian allegations that Britain is planning to supply Ukraine with a nuclear weapon or a “dirty bomb”, accusing Vladimir Putin of seeking to distract from his “heinous” actions in Ukraine.
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Putin “will not win” the war, as the UK announced fresh sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and gas industry. The package, the largest since early 2022, includes pipeline firm PJSC Transneft, 175 companies, and 48 tankers linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed on Tuesday that British and French “elites are actively exploring ways to supply Kyiv with a nuclear bomb, or at least a so-called dirty bomb”. A No10 spokesman said the claim was “a clear attempt by Vladimir Putin to distract” from his latest actions, adding that the UK would continue to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes”.
Sir Keir said: “Russia is not winning this war. They will not win this war. Ukraine’s courage continues to hold the line for our shared values, in the face of Putin’s aggression.” The UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton, noted that Russia has suffered over 1.2 million casualties since February 2022, and its Black Sea fleet has been “neutered by a country without a navy”.
