An announcement by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) followed statements by a senior Russian officer that two institutes in Ukraine linked to the nuclear industry were engaged in preparations to produce such a bomb.
"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is aware of statements made by the Russian Federation on Sunday about alleged activities at two nuclear locations in Ukraine," the IAEA said in a statement, adding that both were already subject to its inspections and one was inspected a month ago, according to ABC Net.
"The IAEA is preparing to visit the locations in the coming days. The purpose of the safeguards visits is to detect any possible undeclared nuclear activities and material."
Russian media quoted Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov — the head of Russia's nuclear, biological and chemical protection troops — as telling a briefing, "According to the information we have, two organizations in Ukraine are under concrete instructions to create a so-called dirty bomb."
Russia's state news agency, RIA, had earlier identified what it said were the two sites involved in the operation: the Eastern Mineral Enrichment Plant in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv.
RHM/PR