U.S., Allies Probe Claim of Chemical Agent in Ukraine

The United States, Britain and other Western allies, along with the Ukrainian government, are looking into claims that Russia has deployed a chemical that has made some people sick as part of Moscow’s ongoing efforts to gain control of the country. complete control of the ruined Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Pytor Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city government, said local officials believe some of the chemicals were dropped by drones on the city’s vast Azovstal steel plant, one of the last. of Ukrainian forces defending the city. They said it was not clear whether it was intended to be lethal.

He said it could be something like tear gas, but they couldn’t be sure.

“It is absolutely correct information that yesterday from a drone, something was dropped in that area and some chemicals were in it,” he said. “But we don’t know for sure if it’s poison or something else.”

Ukrainian military commanders in the city said that Russian forces used drones on Monday to deploy “an unknown poison” that causes breathing difficulties and symptoms. neurosis possibly related to the chemical in a small number of soldiers and civilians.

The reports, though unverified, are being taken seriously as Western intelligence agencies have long warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use unconventional weapons to subdue the Ukrainian opposition . Failing to capture Kyiv and quickly overthrow the Ukrainian government, Russia has shifted its focus to the east and south of Ukraine, and defeating the remaining forces in Mariupol is essential in Russia’s attempt to gain control. broader control over the region.

The US, UK and Australia say they are monitoring the situation closely and there will be consequences if chemicals are indeed used.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: “These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflect the concerns we have about Russia’s possible use of a variety of violent control substances. riots, including tear gas mixed with chemicals, in Ukraine”. in Monday.

The group said that at least three soldiers and civilians were affected and that they were in “relatively good condition.” It said that the substance was deployed near Ukrainian military positions but “some distance” from civilian sites, and that it was “impossible to investigate the crime scene due to enemy fire.”

Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Malyar, told a national TV channel that the government was working to verify information coming from Mariupol.

Earlier, the British military said that Russia had previously used phosphorus bombs and bullets as weapons in eastern Ukraine, and raised the possibility that they could be used in Mariupol. Phosphorus weapons are not considered chemical weapons, and their limited use – while controversial – is not prohibited under international law.

Russia, like Ukraine and most other countries, has ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention, a treaty banning their use. Moscow was also instrumental in pressuring the Syrian government to join the treaty in 2013 after it was accused of using a nerve agent on civilians during the country’s civil war.

But the Kremlin has sought to defend its ally Syria against numerous accusations of chemical weapons use, calling those claims baseless or fictitious. Moscow is also accused of using chemical agents to poison opponents including Alexei A. Navalny, a political figure. Russia denies these allegations.

On Monday, Eduard Basurin, a spokesman for the Kremlin-backed separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, described the Mariupol steel plant as a “city within the city” and said Russian forces should “move turned to chemists, who would figure out how to suck the moles out of their holes.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Basurin said he was referring to flamethrowers, not chemical weapons.