MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Nationalists are plotting provocations in Ukraine involving toxic substances in order to pin the blame for the alleged use of chemical weapons on Russia; for this purpose, about 80 tonnes of ammonia have been delivered to the settlement of Zolochev, northwest of Kharkov, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Wednesday.

"On the night of March 9, Ukrainian nationalists delivered about 80 tonnes of ammonia to the populated locality of Zolochev, northwest of Kharkov. According to those locals who fled Zolochev, nationalists had been training them how to act in a chemical weapons attack. All this proves that Ukrainian nationalists are preparing a provocation involving poisonous substances to blame Russia for the alleged use of chemical weapons," Konashenkov said.

On February 24, Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aims to demilitarize and denazify the country. The Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure, therefore there are no threats to the civilian population.