MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has said it has information that Western countries are planning to arrange provocations in Ukraine with the use of toxic chemicals.
"We warn that in the event of provocations with the use toxic chemicals, the true culprits will be identified and punished by us," chief of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces Igor Kirillov said at a press briefing.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said on February 22 that Russian forces were planning to use chemical weapons in the zone of the special military operation in Ukraine, Kirillov said.
"We view this information as an intention by the United States itself and its accomplices to stage a provocation in Ukraine using toxic chemicals," Kirillov said.
"They hope that in conditions of hostilities, the international community will not be able to organize an effective investigation, as a result of which the actual organizers and perpetrators will be able to escape responsibility, while the blame will be put on Russia," he said.
"I'd like to warn that Russian stationary and mobile systems monitoring the radiation, chemical and biological situation that are deployed in the area of the special military operation can timely detect chemical threats and promptly respond to them. Therefore, the West is mistaken when it expects to successfully carry out provocations with toxic chemicals in conditions of hostilities," Kirillov said.
"The analytical capabilities of the Russian Defense Ministry's chemical laboratories help accurately identify not only the type of the chemical agent used but also the country that produced it," he said.
"It is widely known that improvised munitions have been used against Russian forces with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles. Our studies have shown that these are thermal-impact munitions, which contained fuel oxidizers and additives, some of which were made in the Czech Republic," Kirillov said.