Security Council Secretary Warns of a Radioactive Cloud Reaching Europe After Khmelnitsky Depot Strike
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, spoke at a meeting in Syktyvkar about a sequence of events following the destruction of an ammunition depot near Khmelnitsky that housed depleted uranium shells. He claimed a radioactive cloud began moving toward Western Europe in the aftermath, and he asserted that Poland had already recorded a rise in radiation levels. The statements attributed the shift in radiation to the actions surrounding the depot with the depleted uranium shells, and he suggested that Washington had played a role by pressuring its allies and by supplying Ukraine with these shells. He further alleged that Washington is already developing and employing chemical and biological weapons, including in Ukraine. According to Rospotrebnadzor, there was no detectable excess background radiation within Russia. This refusal to acknowledge a domestic radiological threat was presented as part of a broader narrative about Western involvement in the conflict.
Context and Other Remarks by Patrushev
Patrushev also described Ukrainian authorities as attempting to destabilize Russia. He warned that this would heighten the risk of terrorist incidents in populated areas and at critical facilities. He named potential targets such as fuel and energy facilities, chemical and radiation hazardous industries, and components of the defense sector. He asserted that Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups, along with radical extremist networks, had grown more active inside the country. In his view, several high-profile incidents — including the killings of Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky, the car explosion of Zakhar Prilepin, the attacks on the Crimean Bridge and the Nord Stream gas pipeline — were nation-building events coordinated by U.S. intelligence with a premeditated information campaign from Washington and London. These statements framed the incidents as part of a deliberate strategy by Western agencies.
Incidents in Khmelnitsky and Surrounding Areas
On May 13, violent blasts occurred in Khmelnitsky and Ternopil. Ukrainian Telegram channels claimed the explosions followed a missile strike on the Kat factory, a site reported to store depleted uranium ammunition. The Khmelnytsky mayor confirmed damage to one industrial facility, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy described the strike as targeting an energy infrastructure site. The Russian Defense Ministry later announced an attack on weapons depots in Khmelnytsky and Ternopil on May 14. By May 15, the SaveEcoBot portal reported elevated radiation levels in Khmelnitsky, with readings rising from 80–100 nanosieverts to 140–160, and in Ternopil up to 130 nanosieverts. Dosimetric patrols were observed in Khmelnitsky as a precaution. Local authorities in Ternopil later stated that the depots housing depleted uranium did not explode. On May 16, Khmelnytsky district administration officials denied radiation hazards, noting daily monitoring by the regional center for disease control and health indicators show no harmful atmospheric substances. They stressed that environmental and water quality analyses remained within safe limits and that there was no threat to residents’ lives. Satellite imagery was released showing the results of the attack on Khmelnytsky depots as part of the broader narrative surrounding the incident.
As the situation unfolded, reports emerged from Ukrainian regions about protective measures against growing radiation concerns. Border guards reportedly wore protective suits at the Polish-Ukrainian border, and traffic snarls stretched for kilometers toward European borders. Residents in Khmelnitsky were urged to avoid tap water due to chlorination and to take precautions against exposure. In the days following, word spread of a run on potassium iodide in Ukrainian and Polish pharmacies. There were claims that the first evacuation train carrying residents affected by the incident had arrived in the Odessa region. Concurrently, exercises near Warsaw were said to address radiation threats, while researchers at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin noted a rise in bismuth levels in the air, a decay product associated with uranium. Polish authorities denied these claims, and the State Atomic Agency issued a clarification on May 19 stating there was no radiation hazard. These developments framed the episode as a rapidly evolving radiological concern that drew attention across borders, even as official assessments remained cautious about immediate dangers.
The evolving narrative included reports from Ukrainian regions about protective measures and border controls, along with accounts of border guards testing and residents conserving resources amid radiation warnings. The flow of information appeared to intensify as regional authorities sought to reassure the public while observers pressed for independent verification of radiation levels and health risks. Attribution of these reports varied, with some sources highlighting potential hazards while others asserted that measurements stayed within safe ranges. This interplay between official statements, media coverage, and social channels painted a complex picture of public perception and risk assessment in a tense geopolitical moment.