Chemical Weapons Agency concern
Russia continues attacks on Mariupol port
04/13/2022, 08:08 am
Furthermore, Mariupol does not appear to be entirely in Russian hands. In an industrial complex, soldiers resist artillery fire. Reports of the use of poison gas are being examined – but international efforts do not go far enough for the Ukrainian president.
The Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been contested for weeks, was again the target of Russian airstrikes last night, according to Kiev sources. According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops also attacked the city’s port and the Azovstal Steel Plant. Ukrainian soldiers have entrenched themselves in the sprawling industrial complex.
The city of Kharkiv in the east of the country had been shelled by Russian artillery, it said. The details of the fighting were not independently verifiable. However, the Ukrainian morning report indicated that the military situation has not changed much. The situation of the defenders in Mariupol is considered increasingly difficult. According to media reports, they are in danger of running out of ammunition.
Despite the destruction of many houses, civilians are still holding out in Mariupol, as Deputy Mayor Serhiy Orlov said on ARD on Tuesday. People stayed in basements and shelters to avoid the shelling. “This is not life. This is survival,” Orlov said. The Ukrainian administration of the Donetsk region, to which Mariupol belongs, said on Tuesday that more than 20,000 people were estimated to have been killed there. This number is also not verifiable.
US investigates reports of chemical weapons use
Meanwhile, it was heard from US circles that reports of a Russian use of chemical weapons in Mariupol could not be confirmed at this time. Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Maljar also said the information was still being checked. The Russian military denies the allegations. The United States and Britain have announced serious consequences should Moscow resort to nuclear or chemical weapons in the war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the chemical weapons control agency OPCW expressed concern about the reports. All 193 OPCW member states, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, have pledged “never to develop, produce, acquire … or use chemical weapons,” the agency said in a statement.
The use of chemical weapons is reprehensible and contradicts “the legal norms of the international community”. The OPCW technical secretariat has been in contact with the parties concerned since the conflict began. The secretariat had heard about threats to use toxic chemicals from both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
Zelenskyj: “React preventively”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on the international community to take preventive steps against the possible use of weapons of mass destruction by Russia. This was necessary because of the repeated use of phosphorus ammunition and because of the Russian threat to use chemical weapons in Mariupol. Zelenskyj said that in his nightly video speech late Tuesday evening. “React preventively. After the use of weapons of mass destruction, a reaction changes nothing.”
Zelenskyj also referred to the reports from Mariupol from the previous day. It’s not 100% certain what kind of substance it was, he said. In the besieged city it was impossible to carry out a full investigation. The Azov regiment deployed in Mariupol had reported three wounded who had difficulty breathing and were paralyzed. There was no confirmation from other Ukrainian authorities.