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Kremlin unaware of radiation poisoning of those injured at Severodvinsk testing range

Earlier, reports were circulated by a number of media outlets claiming that doctors in the Arkhangelsk Region were not warned about the radiation poisoning of the patients

MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that he was unaware of any cases of radiation poisoning sustained by those who were injured in an explosion at the Severodvinsk naval testing range.

"I am not aware of it, I do not know what doctors you are talking about. It is necessary to know specifically what doctors are mentioned, who they are. In this case, we cannot speak impersonally," he said, commenting on the reports circulated by a number of media outlets claiming that doctors in the Arkhangelsk Region were not warned about the radiation poisoning of the patients delivered to their hospitals after the accident occurred at the naval testing range on the White Sea coast.

The Kremlin representative also pointed out that Russian President Vladimit Putin is receiving "specific, professional information, based on instrumental measurement, from the site. There is no reason not to trust this information."

"As for opinions of certain doctors, surely it is necessary to learn what the opinion is and who voiced it. Wording the question as 'Arkhangelsk doctors are saying,' I believe, is out of place," he added.

Meanwhile, responding to a question whether it looks like the Russian authorities are trying to prevent the information about the accident from spreading, the Kremlin spokesman asked: "Have you tried to look at the situation from the other side? As if someone was deliberately trying to heighten the information tensions, distort the reality and present the situation in a light that suggests that there were alleged threats? Have you thought about looking at the issue from this angle?"

In conclusion, Peskov urged to consider the incident objectively, "to look at the issue from both sides."

The accident occurred at a military testing range near Severodvinsk in the Arkhangelsk region on August 8. The Russian Defense Ministry initially reported that two people died in the accident involving a liquid-fuel jet engine. Later regional authorities stated that six more people had been hospitalized after the accident. On August 10, Rosatom said that five employees were killed in the accident and three more were hospitalized.