Sumy alarm in Ukraine: “Extremely toxic ammonia” leaks into chemical plant

An alarm has been sounded by the warning of the local authorities that extremely toxic ammonia is leaking from the morning in a chemical factory in the city of Sumy, in the northeast of Ukraine. Authorities have called on Novoselitsa residents to seek refuge from the chemical, especially in basements and on the ground floor, and to avoid exposure to it – in the midst of ongoing fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Dmitry Zivicki, the governor of Sumy, said that all residents within five kilometers of the Sumykhimprom plant, which produces various types of chemical fertilizers, should take protection measures. Ammonia, a substance with a particularly strong odor, is lighter than oxygen.

Mr Zivicki did not specify how the leak was caused. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed yesterday that “Ukrainian nationalists” had “trapped” the ammonia and chlorine storage facilities of the Sumichibrom industry with explosives in order to “cause mass poisoning” in case Russian units enter the city.

Sumy, 350 km east of Kiev, a city of about 250,000 inhabitants before the outbreak of waris not directly threatened by ammonia at present due to the direction of the winds, according to him.

It is impossible to verify this information independently, as broadcast by international agencies and retransmitted by the Athenian News Agency.

The Russian Defense Ministry recently accused the Ukrainian authorities of plotting to carry out a chemical weapons attack on civilians and to blame Russia. Western countries, mainly the United States, have returned the allegation, arguing that Russia is lying and that it intends to use chemical weapons.

Source: News Beast

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