Ukraine’s Western allies accused Russia Monday of plotting to use a threat of a “dirty bomb” as an excuse to escalate the war ahead of a looming battle for Kherson.

With Ukrainian forces advancing into the Russian-occupied province in the south, top Kremlin officials called their counterparts in the West Sunday and Monday to tell them Moscow suspected Kyiv of planning to detonate a bomb laced with nuclear material.  

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the US, Britain and France said they had all rejected the allegations and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in the conflict “for as long as it takes.”

“Our countries made clear that we all reject Russia’s transparently false allegations that Ukraine is preparing to use a dirty bomb on its own territory,” they said. “The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation.”

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price warned this afternoon that there would be “consequences” for Russia whether it uses a so-called “dirty bomb” or a conventional nuclear weapon.

“Whether it uses a ‘dirty bomb’ or a nuclear bomb. We’ve been very clear about that,” Price told reporters.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the aim of a “dirty bomb” attack by Ukraine would be to blame the resulting radioactive contamination on Russia.

“The aim of the provocation would be to accuse Russia of using a weapon of mass destruction in the Ukrainian military theater and by that means to launch a powerful anti-Russian campaign in the world,” it said, adding that it had prepared its forces to work in conditions of radioactive contamination.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov said Monday that the defense ministry had prepared Russian forces to work in conditions of radioactive contamination.

In an overnight address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had said the Russian accusation was a sign Moscow was planning such an attack itself and would blame Ukraine.

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

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the accusation against Moscow, Interfax news agency reported.

“The unfounded denials of our Western colleagues, saying all this is fiction and that Russia itself plans to do something similar in order to later blame the Zelensky regime — this is not a serious conversation,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called Western counterparts Sunday to talk about the “dirty bomb” threat, but offered no evidence.

British Chief of Defense Staff Tony Radakin again rejected Russia’s allegations in a call with Russian military Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Monday, the British defense ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s RIA news agency reported Gerasimov also spoke to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, Monday, eight months to the day since Russia invaded Ukraine.

With Post wires