A tank of Russian troops drives in Russian-held part of Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, July 23, 2022. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
Russia鈥檚 defense ministry accused Ukraine on Saturday of poisoning some of its servicemen in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine鈥檚 southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia in late July.
An adviser to Ukraine鈥檚 interior ministry said in response that the alleged poisoning could have been caused by Russian forces eating expired canned meat.
The Russian defense ministry said a number of Russian servicemen had been taken to a military hospital with signs of serious poisoning on July 31. Tests showed a toxic substance, botulinum toxin type B, in their bodies, it said.
鈥淥n the fact of chemical terrorism sanctioned by the (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky regime, Russia is preparing supporting evidence with the results of all the analyses,鈥� the ministry said in a statement.
It did not say how many servicemen had suffered or what their condition was now. It did not say what the 鈥渟upporting evidence鈥� was.
Botulinum toxin type B is a neurotoxin that can cause botulism when ingested in previously contaminated food products, but it can also have medical uses.
Ukraine鈥檚 defense ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko commented on the Russian allegation on the Telegram messaging app.
鈥淭he department (Russian defense ministry) does not clarify whether the poisoning could have been caused by expired canned meat, in which botulinum toxin is often found. Overdue rations have been massively complained about by the occupying forces since the first days of the invasion of Ukraine,鈥� he said.
The Russian defense ministry said it was conducting an additional investigation into an incident in which Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-installed administration in Ukraine鈥檚 occupied Kherson region, was taken ill.
Saldo, a former mayor of the city of Kherson who was appointed to head the region of the same name when Russian troops overran it in early March, fell ill in early August.
Russia says its 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� launched on Feb. 24 is aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine and protecting Russian speakers on what President Vladimir Putin called historical Russian land.
Ukraine and Western countries view it as an unprovoked war of conquest aimed at wiping out Ukraine鈥檚 national identity.
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