Russia accuses Ukraine of poisoning its soldiers in Zaporizhia

Russia’s Defense Ministry today accused Ukraine of poisoning some of its soldiers in the Russian-controlled part of southeastern Ukraine’s Zaporizhia in late July, Reuters reported.

An adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry said in response that the alleged poisoning could have been caused by Russian forces eating expired canned meat.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a number of Russian servicemen had been taken to a military hospital with signs of severe poisoning on July 31. Tests showed a toxic substance, botulinum toxin type B, in their bodies, he said.

“Regarding the event of chemical terrorism sanctioned by (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky’s regime, Russia is preparing supporting evidence with the results of all analyses,” the ministry said in a statement.

He did not say how many servicemen had been damaged or what their condition was now, nor did he say what the “supporting evidence” was.

Botulinum toxin type B is a neurotoxin that can cause botulism when ingested in previously contaminated food, but may also have medical uses.

Ukraine’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but interior ministry adviser Anton Gerachenko commented on the Russian claim on the Telegram messaging app.

“The agency (the Russian Ministry of Defense) does not specify whether the poisoning could have been caused by expired canned meat, in which botulinum toxin is often found. Late food rations have been reported en masse by the occupation forces since the first days of the invasion of Ukraine,” he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it is conducting an additional investigation into an incident in which Volodymyr Saldo, of the Russian command in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine, fell ill.

Saldo, a former mayor of Kherson who was appointed head of the region of the same name when Russian troops occupied it in early March, fell ill in early August.