Britain, Australia Join Pentagon To Monitor Russia’s Possible Use Of Chemical Weapons In Ukraine

Topline

Officials in Washington and London are investigating the possible use of chemical weapons by the Russian military in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Monday, after Ukrainian forces in the region alleged they had detected signs of chemical poisoning among their troops.

A view inside the Mariupol theater damaged during fighting in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Key Facts

The leader of the Ukrainian ultranationalist paramilitary Azov regiment alleged Russian forces had used a drone to deploy a “poisonous substance” against Ukrainian troops in the besieged port city of Mariupol, the Kyiv Independent reported.

The group claimed that three people have shown “clear signs” of chemical poisoning, including shortness of breath and a neurological disorder called vestibulocerebellar ataxia.

Petro Andryushchenko, a staffer from the Mariupol mayor’s office, wrote on Telegram that the reported chemical attack had not been confirmed yet and said he would provide details and clarifications later.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the issue was closely being monitored but the use of chemical weapons could not be confirmed as of Monday evening.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tweeted late Monday that the British government was working “urgently with partners to verify details.”

Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne told the press on Tuesday that he had received “extremely concerning” reports about the use of chemical weapons by Russia and the Australian government was working to determine the “veracity of these reports.”

Crucial Quote

“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine,” Kirby told the press.

News Peg

Claims by the Azov regiment comes after a statement made earlier on Monday by Eduard Basurin, the spokesperson for the Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk province. Speaking about the challenge of capturing a steel mill in Mariupol, Basurin said it made no sense to storm the well-fortified mill and the Russian military and its proxies should instead “ask our chemical forces to find a way to smoke these moles out of their holes.”

Tangent

In his evening address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia could use chemical weapons in Ukraine, urging the West to impose harsher sanctions on Moscow to prevent such an eventuality. While Zelensky did mention Azov’s claims, he said his government is treating this threat with “the utmost seriousness.”

Key Background

Last month, U.S. officials raised alarms that Russian forces may resort to using chemical weapons as they remained bogged down in the battlefield due to fierce Ukrainian resistance. At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of a false flag operation where Russia may use a chemical weapon in Ukraine and then falsely blame the Ukrainian military. Russia would then use this false claim to justify escalating its attacks on the Ukrainian people, he added. However, since Blinken’s remarks on March 17, Russian forces have retreated from their positions in northern Ukraine after failing to lay siege on the capital city of Kyiv and have now moved their troops to the Donbas region in the east.