The head of the OPCW will study evidence of Ukraine’s use of prohibited substances

Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Fernando Arias will analyze materials prepared by Russia with evidence of the use of chemical weapons by Ukrainian troops. This was announced by the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the organization, Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Alexander Shulgin.

“On the sixth of October I <...> met with the general director <...> OPCW Fernando Arias and handed over to him materials containing evidence of the use of substances prohibited by the CWC by Ukrainian nationalists. <...> The general director accepted this information from us. He assured that they will be carefully studied and analyzed,” the ambassador explained (quote according to RIA Novosti).

The diplomat clarified that the documents were protected from possible speculation around the incidents with a special OPCW stamp of “special protection.” Russia expects the technical secretariat of the organization to professionally and objectively study the information, Shulgin emphasized.

In the spring, the Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine was preparing a large-scale provocation using toxic substances. According to the department, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were going to recreate a supposed frontline site in the Sumy region and send there the remains of those killed by allegedly Russian ammunition with “toxic substances.” For this purpose, the site and the remains were planned to be treated with chemicals, the ministry specified.