In a statement to Global News on Monday night, spokesman John Kirby said that if verified, the report by Ukrainian fighters of a chemical weapons attack on the heavily besieged city of Mariupol was “deeply worrying”. “We can not confirm at this time and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” said an e-mail statement about what Kirby called a “social media report.” The Azov Battalion, a nationalist military unit fighting to protect Mariupol, told social media late Monday night that a “poisonous substance” had fallen from a Russian drone earlier that night.
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The story goes on under the ad He said the unknown substance caused the victims respiratory failure and symptoms of vestibular syndrome, a neurological disorder. Battalion leader Andriy Biletsky said in a video posted to the Telegram that three victims had shown signs of chemical poisoning, but added that he expected them to recover without “catastrophic consequences” for their health. He did not say whether the victims were soldiers or civilians. Ukrainian MP Ivanna Klympush also referred to the attack on social media, citing Azov’s report, calling the possible use of a chemical weapon a “red line” that must be addressed through international action. 2/2 This morning #Russians threatened to use “chemical troops” against the defenders of Mariupol. Now #Azov reports that #RU did it. #Russia will not stop until it stops! – Ivanna Klympush (@IKlympush) April 11, 2022 Azov’s report was also reported by the Mariupol City Council, which shared the battalion’s post on its Telegram page. The story goes on under the ad A verified Twitter account of the Strategic Communications Directorate for the Chief of Defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that chemical weapons were used “against Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in Mariupol”, but did not provide further details. Trending Stories
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Global News could not independently verify the report of the attack or the alleged symptoms of any victims. Requests for comments from the army, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine were not returned. No information was provided by the Azov battalion to confirm the alleged attack. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Tras said her government was working “urgently” with partners to verify the details. “Any use of such weapons would be a harsh escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime accountable,” he wrote on Twitter. Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol. We are urgently working with partners to verify details. Any use of such weapons would be a harsh escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime accountable. – Liz Truss (@trussliz) April 11, 2022 The story goes on under the ad NATO and Western leaders have been warning for weeks that Russia is potentially preparing to use chemical weapons in its long-running invasion of Ukraine. US President Joe Biden said last month that such an attack by Russia “would provoke a similar response” from the military alliance. Moscow has denied plans to use chemical weapons. Instead, he accused Ukraine of plotting such an attack on Russian forces, which the West said was a possible pretext for Russia. However, several Ukrainian officials on Monday cited remarks made in the Russian media by Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, who proposed the deployment of “chemical troops” in Mariupol. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to the comments in a midnight video speech, saying officials were taking the possibility of chemical weapons “with the utmost seriousness.” 1:51 Western allies promise action if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine Western allies promise action if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine – March 24, 2022 Zelensky said earlier on Monday that “tens of thousands” of people had been killed in Mariupol alone due to continuous Russian bombing and rocket attacks. The story goes on under the ad City Mayor Vadym Boychenko told the Associated Press that the death toll was more than 10,000, with about 120,000 civilians in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications. The death toll has not been independently verified, although widespread destruction by civilians and journalists on the ground has been reported. The southeastern port city is considered a key target of Moscow. More to follow… © 2022 Global News, part of Corus Entertainment Inc.
