Russian invasion
Azov Regiment speaks of poison gas attack in Mariupol
Destroyed apartment buildings on the outskirts of Mariupol. The Ukrainian Azov regiment reports an alleged Russian poison gas attack in the embattled city. Photo: Alexei Alexandrov/AP/dpa
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Western military experts warn of a worsening situation in Mariupol. Now, according to the Ukrainian Azov regiment, there should have been an attack with chemical weapons.
Shortly after a Russian threat to use chemical weapons in Mariupol, the Azov regiment of Ukraine reported an alleged poison gas attack.
An unknown substance had been dropped from a drone over the long-contested city, Azov said on his Telegram channel.
However, the public Ukrainian TV broadcaster Suspilne reported that there was no confirmation from official bodies. Military sources considered the probability of a chemical weapons attack by the Russian side to be “very high”. The broadcaster is trying to get confirmation from the military or the secret service. According to the Azov information, the people hit suffered from breathing difficulties and movement disorders.
According to Western military experts, the situation in Mariupol is getting worse. Russian forces pushed back the Ukrainian defenders. The Ukrainians have entrenched themselves in the Azovstal steelworks, among other places. Military spokesman for the pro-Russian Donetsk separatists, Eduard Bassurin, said capturing the underground fortifications at the factory site would be too costly. Therefore one should rely on chemically armed troops.
Russia did not itself use chemical weapons in the Syrian war, but covered up and denied the proven dropping of bombs with poison gas by the Syrian government.