The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room,
especially if there is no cat.
Confucius
Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency carried out in-field verification missions at three locations in Ukraine but found no sign of any “dirty bomb” that Russia screamed Ukraine was developing. As anticipated, Russia’s allegations turned out to be a mere lie.
At the request of Ukraine, IAEA sent teams of inspectors to three locations mentioned by Kremlin, including the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv, Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Vody and Production Association Pivdenny Machine-Building Plant in Dnipro, according to an IAEA press release.
“Over the past few days, the inspectors were able to carry out all activities that the IAEA had planned to conduct and were given unfettered access to the locations. Based on the evaluation of the results available to date and the information provided by Ukraine, the Agency did not find any indications of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at the locations,” the press release reads.
“The inspectors also collected environmental samples for analysis at the IAEA’s safeguards laboratories and its network of analytical laboratories. Environmental sampling is a commonly used safeguards measure with ultrasensitive analytical techniques that can provide information about past and current activities related to the handling of nuclear materials,” according to the press release.
“Our technical and scientific evaluation of the results we have so far did not show any sign of undeclared nuclear activities and materials at these three locations. Additionally, we will report on the results of the environmental sampling as soon as possible,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi was quoted as saying.
In a tweet, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked Grossi for “IAEA’s excellent and prompt cooperation which helped counter Russian falsehoods. Russia has confirmed its status of the world’s top liar.”
IAEA has checked 3 Ukrainian facilities in focus of Russian disinfo and found no evidence of any ‘dirty bombs’. I thank @rafaelmgrossi for IAEA’s excellent and prompt cooperation which helped counter Russian falsehoods. Russia has confirmed its status of the world’s top liar.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) November 3, 2022
