Russia's Defence Ministry has accused Ukraine of planning an act of nuclear provocation in the war zone to mark the first anniversary this week of the Russian invasion.
According to the allegations, which are not backed up with evidence, Kiev is planning to blame Moscow for indiscriminate shelling of nuclear facilities and the resultant radioactive contamination of the environment.
The Defence Ministry says vessels containing radioactive substances have been transported across borders from an unnamed European country without being cleared through customs with the intention of staging a nuclear contamination incident.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has in the past claimed to have identified a location where Kiev is constructing a so-called "dirty bomb" to spread radioactive contamination. Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency were unable to find relevant evidence during a visit last month.
