Mariupol Councillor: Russian troops preparing chemical attack on Azovstal on 11 May

Denys Karlovskyi – Monday, 9 May 2022, 16:21

Oleksandr Lashyn, Councilman from Mariupol, said, citing his sources, that Russian occupation forces are planning to deploy chemical weapons in an attack on Ukrainian soldiers defending the Azovstal steel works on 11 May.

Source: Oleksandr Lashyn on Facebook

Quote from Lashyn: "I have just found out from sources in Mariupol who contacted me that a powerful chemical attack on Azovstal is being prepared for 11 May.

Local residents in Mariupol are warned not to leave their houses starting tomorrow: they [Russian troops] want to smoke our guys, our heroes, out from Azovstal. All of their efforts have been in vain so far, so they’re planning to take such genocidal measures as powerful chemical weapons."

Details: Lashyn urged the international community, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross to prevent Russian troops from deploying chemical weapons against Mariupol.

According to Lashyn, a large number of civilians remain in the city, all of whom will suffer the effects of a chemical attack.

Lashyn did not explain who his sources were. It is possible that he had been in contact with someone who remained in Mariupol and was instructed to not leave their house by the collaborationist municipal government.

Background:

• On 8 May, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said that there is currently no opportunity to break the siege of Mariupol militarily.
• Also on 8 May, the commanders of the Azov Regiment said during a press-conference that they still have enough weapons to fight the Russian troops at Azovstal.
• Eduard Basurin, a Russian militiaman from the Russian-occupied Donetsk Region, said, on 11 April, that Ukrainian troops defending Mariupol must be encircled in the Azovstal plant and attacked with chemical weapons. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian special services reprimanded Basurin for his disclosure of the occupiers’ secret plans.
• According to Petro Andriushchenko, Advisor to Mariupol’s Mayor, on 9 May Russian troops resumed an assault on Ukrainian soldiers at Azovstal as soon as representatives of international organisations left the Donetsk Region.
• Leaders of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic together with the pro-government  Edinaya Rossiya [United Russia] party organised a 9 May "carnival" in Russian-occupied parts of Mariupol featuring an enormous St George ribbon, a Russian military symbol and a symbol of the Russian occupation.