Russia’s former president, Dmitry Medvedev, threatened nuclear strikes against Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom on Tuesday, responding to unsubstantiated claims made by Russian intelligence alleging that London and Paris are preparing to supply Ukraine with nuclear weapons.
The allegations, originating from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), claim that the UK and France are “preparing to arm Kyiv with a nuclear bomb” in an effort to secure a “victory over Russia at the hands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” These claims were amplified by Russian state news agency TASS and disseminated through pro-Kremlin social media accounts, which characterized the alleged plan as a “flagrant violation of international law.”
There is currently no evidence to support the SVR’s assertions, which directly contradict the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The NPT recognizes the UK and France as nuclear-weapon states, while Ukraine is not. Kyiv relinquished its nuclear arsenal in 1994 under the Budapest Memorandum, receiving security guarantees from Russia, the UK, and the US in return.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, dismissed the Russian claims as fabrications, telling Reuters that Russian officials have a “record of lies” and are repeating “old ‘dirty bomb’ nonsense.”
France has also refuted the allegations. French Response, an X account affiliated with the French Foreign Ministry, stated, “Five years into its ‘three-day war’, Russia would really prefer you focus on French and British nukes.” The account further asserted that “Nuclear brinkmanship won’t hide the overwhelming international support for Ukraine on the fourth anniversary of your failed ‘three-day war’.”
The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment publicly on the allegations, but Sky News reported that the British government has stated there is “no truth” to the claims.
The SVR statement also asserted that Germany declined to participate in providing Ukraine with a nuclear weapon, stating that Berlin “prudently refused to take part in this dangerous venture.” A spokesperson for Germany’s Ministry of Defence stated the ministry does not comment on media reports or statements from such sources.
Medvedev, who served as Russian president from 2008 to 2012, warned on Tuesday that if the UK and France were to provide Ukraine with atomic warheads, Russia would be forced to use non-strategic nuclear weapons. Writing on the Max messenger app, Medvedev stated that such actions would constitute “a direct transfer of nuclear weapons to a belligerent country.” He added that Russia would respond by using “any type of weapon, including non-strategic nuclear weapons,” against targets in Ukraine and, if necessary, against the countries supplying the weapons.
Experts have noted that Moscow’s intelligence agencies have previously disseminated similar disinformation campaigns around significant events, such as anniversaries of the full-scale invasion, to divert attention from perceived military setbacks. In 2022, Russia falsely claimed Ukraine was preparing to deploy a “dirty bomb,” a claim refuted by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Denis Cenusa, an analyst for Europe and Eurasia, told Euronews’ fact-checking team that spreading disinformation around memorable dates allows “Russian intelligence [to] distract attention and distort reality, mainly for the external audience.” He suggested the current narrative is intended to discredit France and the UK, particularly as they lead discussions about potential troop deployments to Ukraine.
Discussions regarding a European nuclear deterrent, including potential coordination between allies, were addressed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Munich Security Conference in early February. These discussions focused on deterrence policy, not the transfer of weapons to Ukraine.
