MOSCOW. Oct 7 (Interfax) - Moscow has accused Kiev of preparing a provocation using chemical weapons in the special military operation zone.
"We are credibly aware that the Ukrainian side, with active abetting by Western countries, is planning to carry out a series of anti-Russian provocations in the special military operation zone. At present, they are engaged in preparations and a series of measures aimed at falsifying evidence in order to accuse Russia later of violating the CWC [Chemical Weapons Convention] during the conduct of hostilities," the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a comment released on Monday.
"Russia constantly tracks and documents instances of Ukrainian armed formations of using, and preparing to use, the listed chemicals, anti-riot agents, and chemicals not listed in CWC schedules," the comment said.
"According to the data from Russian competent authorities, in the July to September period NATO countries delivered over 70 pieces of modern technical devices for detection and registration of toxic substances to Ukraine," it said.
"Meanwhile, officers from Ukraine's security and special forces were training both in Ukraine and at relevant centers of radiological, chemical and biological defense in allied countries," it said.
"Part of this activity is carried out by NATO countries through the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW [Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons]," the comment said.
"As we understand, the supposedly factual material, fabricated not far from the line of combat contact in analogy with Syria, will be handed over to international experts who arrived in Ukraine promptly to compile the so-called pseudo-independent report about the made-up fact of Moscow using chemical weapons," the comment said.
"The aim of this act is clear. There is no such norm of international law as to stop NATO countries in their desire to achieve the proclaimed 'strategic defeat' of Russia, let alone when it comes to the format of 'under-foreign-flag' chemical provocations practiced in Syria over the years," the comment said.