Russia waits for OPCW to react to Kiev’s use of toxic chemicals — permanent representative

THE HAGUE, July 9. /TASS/. Russia expects a reaction to the information provided to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) about the use of toxic chemicals by the Ukrainian army, Russia's permanent representative to the OPCW Vladimir Tarabrin said.

"On the eve of the current session of the Executive Council, the Russian Federation presented another piece of information about Ukraine's violations of its obligations under the CWC [Chemical Weapons Convention]. We expect a concrete reaction from the OPCW technical secretariat and the CWC member states to the facts handed over by Russia regarding the use of toxic chemicals, toxic substances and chemical warfare agents by Ukrainian armed groups," Tarabrin said at the 112th session of the organization's Executive Council.

For instance, Russia informed the organization about the discovery of smoke grenades with chloropicrin at Ukraine’s positions in the DPR, as well as about a Ukrainian drone attack carried out with improvised munitions containing the same substance on a school building in the DPR.

Tarabrin added that Moscow is also continuing consultations with the technical secretariat regarding its request for experts to come visit Russia and the provision of technical assistance.