“We are working urgently with partners to verify the details,” Truss added.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: “We are aware of social media reports alleging that Russian forces have deployed a possible chemical munition in Mariupol, Ukraine. We cannot confirm this at this time and will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
“These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflect the concerns we had about Russia’s ability to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday evening that Russia may use chemical weapons in Ukraine, calling on the West to impose severe sanctions on Moscow to prevent even talk of the use of such weapons.
“I would like to remind world leaders that the possibility of the use of chemical weapons by the Russian army was already discussed. It really meant at that time that it was necessary to have a stronger and faster reaction to Russian aggression,” he said.
Petro Andryushenko, an assistant to the mayor of Mariupol, wrote on his Telegram channel that the reports of a chemical attack had not been confirmed and that he expected details and clarifications to be available at a later time.
“It is time to prepare these sanctions in such a way that we do not even hear words about weapons of mass destruction from the Russian side … An embargo on Russian oil is inevitable. Any new package of sanctions against Russia that does not affect oil will be received by Moscow with a smile,” Zelensky said.
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