Photo: Russian military in gas masks
Source: Kommersant

The Russian Federation accompanies armed aggression with disinformation campaigns. Since the autumn of last year, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus have accused Ukraine of intending to attack Belarus and Russia, return «ORDLO» in a military way, as well as the occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea, to blow up nuclear power plants, create an atomic bomb, use chemical and biological weapons.

All these fakes have no confirmation and look absolutely absurd, but they may indicate the creation of grounds for possible aggression, after all, what Russia accuses Ukraine of, Russia, in the end, does it itself. Russia often uses this approach, blaming other countries to justify its own aggression. In this aspect, the Kremlin is also trying to demonstrate through the prism of its own worldview that they can do everything that the United States of America has ever done. One may recall how in 2003, before the intervention in Iraq, US Secretary of State Colin Powell provided evidence of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Currently, there are a number of reasons that testify to the reality of the threat of the use of chemical weapons by the Russian Federation. On March 14, the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security published a photo of the documents of Alexander Viktorovich Aftaev, an officer of the RF Armed Forces, who was killed in Ukraine. According to the documents, before his death in Ukraine, Aftaev served in military unit 21222 - and this is the «Federal Directorate for the Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons» in the city of Penza. And before serving in the army, he graduated from the Saratov Military Institute of Biological and Chemical Safety.[1] The documents were found in the Donetsk region, near the village of Staromlinovka. In December last year, the leadership of the Russian Federation already stated that the chemical weapons that the United States of America allegedly transferred to Ukraine are located precisely in the Donetsk region, in the village of Chervony Liman and in the city of Avdiivka. Then, a few weeks later, an ammonia leak was recorded at the inactive «Stirol» plant in the city of Gorlovka, which is located in the temporarily occupied territory. This was reported by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Russia can use chemical weapons in several directions. First of all, this is the Operation of United Forces zone. There are units of radiation, chemical and biological protection, which could carry out a chemical attack under the supervision of Russian specialists within the troops of the so-called LDPR. The corresponding units in the occupied territories were officially formed by Russia in 2019. As noted, an information basis has been created for a chemical attack since last year. Currently, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are entrenched in the suburbs of Gorlivka, the city where «Stirol» is located, and are quite successfully holding the line in most areas.

Another fake Russian propaganda is the report that in recent days Donetsk and Makiivka were hit twice in a row with the Tochka-U OTR, which led to civilian casualties. Ukraine carefully uses its tactical systems, limited in number, inflicting pinpoint strikes at the place of accumulation of enemy equipment and at strategically important points. Therefore, attacks on residential areas of the city, where there were no enemy equipment or warehouses, would look ridiculous. The strikes with «Tochka» are a blatant provocation by the Russian side to demonize the Ukrainian leadership.

A number of representatives of NATO member countries including the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke about the danger of a chemical attack. «Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan chemical weapons operations under this fabrication of lies. That would be a war crime», the NATO Secretary General said. China has also picked up Russian propaganda on chemical weapons. China's permanent representative to the UN Zhang Jun said that the United States is obliged to provide relevant data for clarification regarding laboratories in Ukraine. The Chinese Foreign Ministry backed these claims, and spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that US military activities in Ukraine are «just the tip of the iceberg».[2] The United States of America, in response, warned the PRC about the possible consequences of supporting Russia. The Chinese leadership has already felt the possible consequences of partnership with the Russian Federation at the current stage, when the shares of Chinese companies fell by 7.2% against the background of news about possible military assistance from Beijing, which was the largest drop since the 2008 crisis.[3] If economic, political and reputational risks can affect the decision of the PRC to support Russia, then the statements of officials of NATO member countries will not affect Kremlin. A consolidated and powerful response is needed to prevent a Russian chemical attack on Ukraine, because Russia understands only the language of force.

The Russian Federation is currently behaving like a terrorist state. The threat of the possible use of chemical weapons by Russia, as well as man-made disasters that may arise as a result of hostilities and irrational decisions made by the Russians remains. In Ukraine, the occupants have already seized two nuclear power plants, one of which, Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, is the largest in Europe. According to the head of Energoatom, Russians have set up military bases around Ukrainian NPPs. Near the Zaporizhzhya NPP, during the capture, the occupants launched a shelling, which led to a fire. After that, unexploded shells were disposed of next to the facility. Another facility whose damage could lead to a large-scale environmental disaster in Europe is the Avdiivka coke and chemicals Plant. The enterprise is located where, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine allegedly stores chemical weapons and threatens residents of neighboring towns of the Donetsk region. However, as you know, Russia often blames others for what it does itself. On March 13, the plant was shelled with «GRAD» systems, as a result of which a fire broke out on the territory of the enterprise. The shelling of the coke and chemicals plant looks like madness, however, now it is a reality that Ukraine has faced and which poses a threat to all of Europe. Actions like these remind us every day that the entire continent is under the threat. Therefore, the barbaric deeds of the Russian army cannot be ignored and reaction should not be limited to verbal warnings.

Photo: Russian missile landed near Avdiyivka Coke and chemicals Plant

Source: Pavlo Kirilenko Twitter profile

Both the population of the continent as a whole and the lives of ordinary Ukrainians are under threat. After the Russian Federation failed to capture major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv, the Russians resorted to scorched earth tactics, as they did in Chechnya and Syria. Russia systematically launches missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, destroys civilian infrastructure and housing, and uses cluster and phosphate munitions in violation of humanitarian law. As of March 15, 3,500 infrastructure facilities have been completely or partially destroyed, including 72 educational facilities, 21 health facilities, and more than 2,700 destroyed buildings.[4]

The actions of the Russian army violate the principles of international humanitarian law, violate the rules of warfare, the purpose of which since its inception in the 19th century was to ensure respect for human rights during the war. The Hague Conventions were signed in 1899 and 1907, the Geneva Convention was signed in 1949, and these documents are being violated again, now on Ukrainian soil. However, the reaction of the international community remains the actual inaction, covered by the verbal warnings of representatives of leading states and international institutions. At the local level, Ukraine and people of Europe need a swift and tough response to Russian state terrorism to avert possible chemical attacks and man-made disasters. Globally, there is a need to reform existing institutions and create more effective mechanisms for securing human rights.

Sources:
1. Центр стратегічних комунікацій та інформаційної безпеки, 14.03.2022, 
URL: https://www.facebook.com/StratcomCentreUA/posts/307542761445711
2. Китай приєднався до звинувачень Росії у бік України щодо біологічної зброї. Що це означає?, 14.03.2022, 
URL: https://techno.nv.ua/ukr/popscience/kitay-ta-biolaboratoriji-v-ukrajini-50224907.html
3. Китайські акції пережили найгірший день з часів фінансової кризи 2008 року, 15.03.2022
URL: https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-economy/3430245-kitajski-akcii-perezili-najgirsij-den-z-casiv-finansovoi-
krizi-2008-roku.html
4. Телеграм канал МВС України, 15.03.2022, 
URL: https://t.me/mvs_ukraine/9533