In News
- In Russia’s latest advocacy campaign over its invasion of Ukraine, It has focused on accusations that Ukraine might be planning to use a so-called “Dirty bomb”.
What are Dirty Bombs?
- It is also known as a “Radiological dispersion device”.
- It is a weapon that combines conventional explosives like dynamite and radioactive material such as uranium.
- Dirty bombs do not create city-flattening atomic explosions but are designed to spread toxic waste.
- The method of delivery could be a missile, an airplane stocked with radioactive materials or a strategically planted improvised explosive device.
Major Issues
- Security experts have worried about them mostly as a form of terrorist weapon to be used on cities to cause havoc among civilians, rather than as a tactical device for use by warring parties in conflict.
- Experts say the immediate health impact would probably be limited since most people in an affected area would be able to escape before experiencing lethal doses of radiation.
- But the economic damage could be massive from having to evacuate urban areas or even abandon whole cities.
Source: IE
