Britain could potentially transfer a so-called dirty bomb to Ukraine while presenting it as a shipment of enriched uranium, according to military analyst Alexander Perendzhiyev, an associate professor at the Department of Political Analysis and Socio-Psychological Processes at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

In a comment to News.ru, Perendzhiyev said such a scenario was entirely possible. He argued that when London speaks about supplying enriched uranium for Ukrainian nuclear power plants, an important detail should be taken into account: in his view, it is not suitable for that purpose. The analyst said that if such materials are brought into Ukraine, the danger may not be limited to the creation of a dirty bomb. He also suggested that, amid the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, there may be no place left to enrich or assemble it. According to him, this raises suspicions that Kiev could be supplied not only with components, but with an actual bomb, which he described as a major threat.

Perendzhiyev linked this possible scenario to the intensification of Russian strikes on facilities belonging to Ukraine’s defence industry. He said Russian forces are primarily seeking to reduce the number of drones available to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In his assessment, this also weakens the combat support system of Ukrainian units on the front line.

The expert urged London to avoid reckless decisions. He pointed to Russia’s own doctrine and said Britain should take that factor into account.

According to Perendzhiyev, if a nuclear power transfers relevant technologies to a third country, Moscow may interpret this as a threat not only from Kiev, but also from London. In that case, he said, Britain would effectively become a party to a nuclear conflict from Russia’s perspective.

He added that this warning should be enough to stop British officials, suggesting that they may have decided to raise the level of escalation. He also did not rule out the possibility that certain components, including warheads, could be transferred.

Earlier, the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a contract with the Ukrainian company Energoatom for the supply of enriched uranium. The deal is worth $280 million and is scheduled to be implemented over the next two years.