Rajnath urges Russia not to use nuke option
Shoigu briefed Singh on evolving situation in Ukraine, including his concerns about possible provocations through the use of dirty bomb
New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu that the Ukraine crisis should be resolved through dialogue and that the nuclear option should not be resorted to by any side.
Mr Singh held a telephonic conversation with the Russian defence minister where bilateral defence cooperation as well as the deteriorating situation in Ukraine were discussed. Mr Shoigu briefed Mr Singh on the evolving situation in Ukraine, including his concerns about possible provocations through the use of “dirty bomb”.
Russia claims that it has information that the "Kiev regime is planning to commit a provocation by exploding the so-called ‘dirty bomb’ or low-power nuclear warhead. The provocation is aimed at accusing Russia of using mass destruction weapons in the Ukraine."
Mr Singh reiterated India's position on the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy for an early resolution of the conflict. He stressed that no side should resort to the nuclear option as the prospect of the usage of nuclear or radiological weapons goes against the basic tenets of humanity.
Hostilities between Russia and Ukraine have intensified, with Moscow carrying out retaliatory missile strikes targeting various Ukrainian cities in response to a huge blast in Crimea about a fortnight ago. Moscow blamed Kyiv for the blast.