Moscow says US planning chemical provocation in Ukraine

A statement by a former US ambassador who said Russian troops were “planning to use chemical weapons” in Ukraine was called out by Moscow, which fired back claiming preparations for a provocation by Washington and its allies were in full swing.

The chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops, Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, told reporters on Tuesday that statements made last week by former US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, who warned Russia was planning to use chemical weapons, revealed the intention by US and accomplices to stage a provocation using toxic chemicals in Ukraine.

"We regard this information as the intention by the US itself and its accomplices to stage a provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals," Kirillov said.

Russia’s Radiation chief went on to suggest that preparations for a provocation were in full swing, referring to foreign citizens who accompanied a rail car delivery of “chemical substances” to Kramatorsk on February 10.

The Russian general also claimed that 11 rail cars marked as “Building Materials” and “Cement” that were unloaded by Ukrainians in Kramatorsk ten days ago had in fact contained shrapnel munitions.

Kirillov went on to provide details about chemical irritants and hazardous substances, and further warned that Russia had proper laboratories and methods to “identify and punish the true culprits."

Sullivan, who completed his tenure as ambassador to Russia and left the country last September, made the statements on February 22 during a conference on Ukraine held by an “influential American nongovernmental organization,” according to Russian media.