Russia's defense ministry said Tuesday that while Ukraine was incapable of producing nuclear weapons, it was able to make a "dirty bomb," a conventional weapon that combines explosives with radioactive material.

The ministry said the Russian military operation had likely prevented Kyiv from advancing its nuclear program. Ukraine, which voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons after the breakup of the Soviet Union in return for guarantees of its borders, rejects Moscow's allegations that it posed any threat to Russia before Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.