MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. Ukrainian nationalists in the city of Sumy last night staged a chemical false flag that Russia had warned about previously, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

In the city of Sumy, the Ukrainian nationalists staged a pre-planned provocation the Russian Defense Ministry warned of beforehand several days ago. According to the Sumy regional administration there was a leak of ammonia from the Sumykhimprom chemical plant. The leak posed no risk to the city’s residents, because the air masses were moving away from the city, Konashenkov said.

He recalled that back on March 19 the Russian Defense Ministry warned the Ukrainian nationalists had planted mines at the chemical plant with the aim of staging a provocation and accusing Russia of an alleged use of chemical weapons.

"The Russian army has not planned or delivered any strikes against Ukrainian facilities that manufacture or keep in store poisonous chemicals. The locations of all such facilities and information of poisonous substances in Ukrainian territory were obtained when the Russian army seized combat documents of the Ukrainian national guard’s 4th brigade," he said, adding that Kiev’s nationalist regime would be directly responsible for any likely incidents involving Ukrainian warehouses of poisonous chemicals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 launched a special military operation in Ukraine following a request for assistance from the leaders of the Donbass republics. He said Moscow had no plans for an occupation of Ukrainian territories. The sole purpose is the country’s demilitarization and denazification. The Defense Ministry has repeatedly stressed that its forces do not attack Ukrainian cities or communities. The focus is entirely on military infrastructures. The civilian population is not at risk.