The foreign ministers of France, Britain and the United States rejected Moscow's allegations as "transparently false" and reiterated their support for Ukraine.
"The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," they said in a joint statement.
Later, the US issued a warning to Moscow.
"We've been very clear with the Russians ... about the severe consequences that would result from nuclear use," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. "There would be consequences for Russia whether it uses a dirty bomb or a nuclear bomb."
Russia's defence ministry said the aim of a "dirty bomb" attack by Ukraine would be to blame Russia for the resulting radioactive contamination. The ministry has begun preparing for such a scenario, it said, readying forces and resources "to perform tasks in conditions of radioactive contamination".
The UN nuclear watchdog said on Monday it was preparing to send inspectors in the coming days to two Ukrainian sites at Kyiv's request, in an apparent reaction to the Russian "dirty bomb" claims. It said both sites were already subject to its inspections and one was inspected a month ago.
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 central Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv. The IAEA statement did not name the facilities it would inspect.
US officials said there was no indication Moscow had made the decision to use a dirty bomb or any nuclear weapon.
"We continue to see nothing in the way of preparations by the Russian side for the use of nuclear weapons," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian accusation was a sign Moscow was planning such an attack itself and would blame Ukraine.
"If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," Zelenskyy said in an overnight address.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said on late Monday he had a detailed discussion with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on "ways to end Russia's nuclear blackmail".
EVACUATION
Russia has ordered civilians to evacuate territory it controls on the western bank of the Dnipro River, where Ukrainian forces have been advancing this month shortly after Moscow claimed to have annexed the area.
A Russian defeat there would be one of Moscow's biggest setbacks yet since its invasion eight months ago.
Kherson's regional capital is the only big city Russia has captured intact since its Feb 24 invasion, and its only foothold on the west bank of the Dnipro, which bisects Ukraine. The province controls the gateway to Crimea, the peninsula Russia seized and claimed to annex in 2014.
The Russian-installed authorities in Kherson announced on Monday that men who stay behind would have the option of joining a military self-defence unit. Kyiv accuses Russia of press-ganging men in occupied areas into military formations, a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvcnVzc2lhLWRpcnR5LWJvbWItY2xhaW0tdWtyYWluZS1reWl2LXVuaXRlZC1uYXRpb25zLTMwMjM3MjHSAQA?oc=5
2022-10-24 23:58:36Z
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