The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday accused Ukraine of poisoning some of its soldiers in the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia region in southeastern Ukraine in late July, Reuters reported.
In response, the adviser to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stated that the alleged poisoning could have been caused by the consumption of expired canned meat by Russian troops.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia reported that on July 31, a number of Russian servicemen were taken to a military hospital with signs of severe poisoning. The examination showed the presence of the poisonous substance botulinum toxin type B in their bodies, the report says.
“Regarding chemical terrorism sanctioned by the regime of (President of Ukraine Volodymyr) Zelensky, Russia is preparing supporting evidence with the results of all analyses,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement did not say how many soldiers were injured or what their current condition is. Nor does it say what “evidence” is.
Botulinum toxin type B is a neurotoxin that can cause botulism when ingested in previously contaminated food, but it may also have medical uses.
Ukraine’s reaction to accusations of poisoning
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, but Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko commented on Russia’s accusations in Telegram.
“The department (of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation) does not clarify whether the poisoning could have been caused by expired canned meat, in which botulinum toxin is often detected. The occupying forces have been complaining en masse about overdue rations since the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they are conducting an additional investigation into the incident that caused Volodymyr Saldo, who was appointed head of the Kherson regional administration of the Russian-occupied region, to fall ill.
Saldo, the former mayor of Kherson who was appointed to lead the Kherson region when Russian troops invaded in early March, fell ill in early August.
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Source: Hot News RO
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