Day 244: UN Watchdog to Visit Sites Amid 'Dirty Bomb' Claims; Democrats Press Biden to Engage with Russia

Facts

• Amid Russian allegations that it has evidence that Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty bomb" which it presented to a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the UN's nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — said it would send inspectors to two locations in Ukraine at Kyiv's request.
• According to Russian news outlet RIA Novosti, Moscow's allegations center around two locations — the Eastern Mineral Enrichment Plant in the central Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv. The IAEA didn't specify which sites it would visit.
• Meanwhile, a group of 30 congressional Democrats from the Progressive Caucus have signed a letter urging US Pres. Biden to directly engage with Russia to end the conflict while maintaining its funding commitments to Ukraine. Led by Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the letter states America's funding for Ukraine creates a responsibility to seek a diplomatic solution.
• Elsewhere, as German Pres. Frank-Walter Steinmeier made his first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, Berlin hosted EU leaders who announced a "new Marshall Plan" to rebuild Ukraine — referring to the US-sponsored initiative to revive western Europe following World War II.
• On the ground, suspected saboteurs detonated several explosions in the Russian-held region of Melitopol on Tuesday, including a car bomb near the offices of a TV station and Russia's security services, the FSB. At least five people were injured, Russian-appointed officials in the region said.
• An explosion was also reported in Russian territory on a railway track in the Bryansk region on Tuesday. The track was reportedly used to transport military equipment between Russia and Belarus.
• Meanwhile, Russian attacks continued to be reported in the regions of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk where seven civilians were reported killed during the past day. Ukrainian officials said the bodies of three additional civilians were discovered in the newly-recaptured territory in the region.

Sources: RTE, Guardian, ABC, News 18, Pravda, and Ukrinform.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The New York Times. Russia's allegations of a "dirty bomb" are transparently false. This is a ploy being utilized by the Kremlin to justify a drastic escalation of the war.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by Tass. Russia has collected evidence to back up its claims and it's prepared to provide this to Western countries. These allegations should be taken seriously.

Predictions