CLAIM: A nuclear explosion occurred at an ammo depot in Tver, which was attacked by Ukrainians.
CONCLUSION: The explosion and mushroom clouds were caused by the rapid heat increase from the explosives stored at the Russian arsenal. No major news outlets reported a nuclear explosion, and detection systems capable of identifying nuclear material from long distances have not reported any radiation increase.
What are the facts
A claim is circulating online that there were nuclear explosions at an ammunition depot destroyed by the Ukrainians in the Tver region of Russia.
This claim, along with discussions surrounding it, soon appeared on Greek-speaking social media and websites. The claim has gone even further, sying that the entire NATO is responsible for the alleged nuclear explosion.
In this post on X (formerly known as Twitter), there was a community note rejecting the claim and including useful links with essential information, which we will analyze.
The Russian arsenal that was destroyed housed large quantities of explosives, including bombs, ammunition, and missiles. Therefore, the sudden and rapid increase in heat levels caused by the explosion resulted not only in seismic tremors but also in the formation of “mushroom clouds,” which are a common occurrence in any large explosion, as past evidence has shown.
Additionally, we searched for the phrase “nuclear explosion Tver” on Google, and were directed to various news agency websites that published articles on the topic. According to “Euronews,” the arsenal, in addition to large quantities of explosives, also contained significant amounts of fuel and various missile systems, which were responsible for the massive explosion. Finally, “Reuters” reports that the strike on the Russian arsenal was carried out using drones, and despite the destruction caused by the attack, there are no reports or confirmations indicating that the explosion was nuclear.
Systems that detect radiation, such as satellites or radionuclide monitoring stations, can detect the presence of radioactive materials released into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion, even from hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. These detectors are used to monitor international nuclear non-proliferation treaties. So far, there have been no recent reports of increased radiation levels, which would have occurred in the event of a nuclear explosion.
Conclusion
There were no nuclear explosions at the ammunition depot destroyed by the Ukrainians in Russia. The explosion and the formation of “mushroom clouds” were likely due to the rapid increase in heat caused by the explosives housed in the Russian arsenal. No major news agencies have reported a nuclear explosion, and detection systems capable of identifying one from hundreds or thousands of kilometers away have not indicated an increase in radiation levels.