MOSCOW. July 8 (Interfax) - The Russian military has detected a Ukrainian laboratory, which was used to produce toxic substances near Avdeyevka, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The laboratory with chemical equipment was uncovered during engineering reconnaissance in a community near Avdeyevka, and a mobile diagnostic team was sent there, Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces chief Igor Kirillov said at a press briefing on Monday.
They discovered a semi-industrial rotary evaporator, a filtering extraction system, chemical reactors, carbon dioxide cylinders, racks with laboratory utensils and reagents, gas masks, including American-made ones, and a Polish-made protective outfit in the laboratory, he said.
"The analysis of the contents of the containers in the laboratory revealed the presence of sulfuric acid and sodium cyanide, which suggested the use of the discovered equipment for producing poisonous substances," Kirillov said.
"During analytical studies in laboratory conditions the presence of sodium cyanide, sulfuric acid, and trace amounts of cyanide anions in the samples was identified. The presence of these chemicals definitely indicates that the detected laboratory was engaged in the production of toxic substances of generally poisonous actions," Kirillov said.
The Ukrainian laboratory facility had a capacity of at least three kilograms per day, he said.
"The lethal inhalation dose for this group of poisonous substances is very low and constitutes only 70-80 mg for a human being," Kirillov said.
In accordance with the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (CPCW), he said that hydrocyanic acid, a substance of this group, is on the third CPCW list, and its use is prohibited by Article 1 of the Convention.
"This compound is a colorless volatile liquid with an odor of bitter almonds. When penetrating through the respiratory organs, this toxic chemical causes dizziness, rapid breathing, vomiting, convulsions, paralysis of respiratory musculature and death," Kirillov said.
"Instances of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using makeshift munitions dropped from unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with this substance have been repeatedly recorded during the special military operation. The use of toxic chemicals, including hydrocyanic acid, by the Kiev regime is confirmed by numerous testimonies of witnesses, including civilians and Russian servicemen," he said.
A Ukrainian drone dropped a round of ammunition in the village of Semyonovka in the Donetsk People's Republic in May 2024, and the affected villagers experienced symptoms typical of hydrocyanic acid: difficult breathing, vomiting and a taste of bitter almonds, Kirillov said.
"Another instance of the use of hydrocyanic acid by the Ukrainian Armed Forces was recorded in early June 2024. Following a UAV attack on the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in the Graivoron district of the Belgorod region, fragments of ammunition were discovered, and laboratory tests confirmed the use of this toxic chemical," Kirillov said.