MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is plotting to weaponize poisonous substances - similar to cyanide - in the Russian armed forces’ area of operation in lieu of the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, says Igor Kirillov, Commander of the Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops.

He noted that, due to the failure of the so-called counteroffensive, the Ukrainian armed forces are expected to move to non-standard means of warfare. According to Kirillov, the Ukrainian Presidential Office is coordinating with national intelligence agencies to carry out an anti-Russian provocation involving poisonous substances. Thus, the SBU involved Ukraine’s Realab company, using it to procure triethanolamine and a nitrogen-containing sodium compound. He noted that triethanolamine is included in the appendix to the Chemical Weapons Convention and is subjected to annual declaration.

"This compound is a precursor to the synthesis of a vesicant poisonous substance - nitrogen mustard gas. Nitrogen-containing sodium compounds are highly toxic: their effect is similar to that of cyanide. According to our assessment, these chemical agents could be used by the SBU to produce a weaponized poisonous substance in order to carry out a small-scale provocation on the controlled territory in the area of operation of the most actively advancing group of Russian Armed Forces," he said.

Threats to food security

Kirillov speculated that, for the same reason, Ukrainian forces may deliberately poison the water supply, food and animal feed stockpile on Russian-controlled territory, because they failed to achieve any success during the counteroffensive. Earlier in November, Defense Ministry specialists, together with the federal agricultural watchdog agency, detected an outbreak of the African swine fever virus in the settlement of Chernigovka, Zaporozhye Region, that was deliberately released, Kirillov said.

"Over 7,000 animals were slaughtered as a result of the intentional introduction of the ASFV pathogen to an agricultural enterprise. The contagion was detected in the absence of carrier activity or natural migration of wildlife. Such scenarios aim to stimulate social tensions, discontent over the actions of Russian authorities, and to create threats to food security," Kirillov explained.

The Zaporozhye Region inter-agency group discovered a grant agreement between the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation, Metabiota and Ukrainian laboratories, including the Veterinary Medicine Institute, during a search of the Ukrainian Public Health Center. According to the agreement, the Foundation transferred over $180,000 of grant funds under the UP-4 project. Kirillov pointed out that this project, with total funding of over $1.5 million, was aimed at studying the spread of particularly dangerous pathogens via migrating birds.