On Monday, Ukrainian Defence Forces in Mariupol informed about a poison utilised by Russians against their soldiers.

 

 

Azov Battalion Commander Mr. Andriy Biletsky, who leads the defence of Mariupol, stated that the Russian army diffused chemical weapons over the Azovstal plant, the battalion's fortress.

Russians carried out a chemical attack on Mariupol, on the Azovstal plant. It was not a massive attack, but it shows that they could not control the city, Mr. Biletsky stated.

According to him, three people suffered respiratory system injuries.

Pentagon did not confirm direct use of chemical weapons but its spokesman admitted in the statement that the U.S. is aware that Russians are mixing chemical agents with anti-riot gases.

The Pentagon is aware of the reports and will monitor the situation closely, Kirby said.

These reports, if true, are deeply concerning and reflective of concerns that we have had about Russia’s potential to use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents, in Ukraine, Kirby said.

On Tuesday, Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boychenko , provided media the first estimate of casualties in the city since Russians invaded Ukraine.

At least 10,000 civilians have died in the city since the beginning of the war, Mr. Boychenko was quoted by the Associated Press

Corpses are carpeting the streets, the mayor added.


"The Butcher of Syria"

Having effectively lost the battle for Kyiv amid a host of missteps, the Kremlin installed Gen. Aleksandr V. Dvornikov as the new head of its force in Ukraine.

The 60-year-old general previously commanded troops in Syria, earning the nickname “the butcher of Syria” because of the ruthless tactics he employed as part of Moscow’s effort to prop up dictator Bashar Assad’s regime.

U.S. officials say the installation of Gen. Dvornikov highlights Russia’s poor showing in the military campaign so far while also sending a chilling message about where the conflict is headed.

First, no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced strategic failure in Ukraine, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. They thought they were going to be able to conquer the capital city and take other major cities with little resistance, that they’d in fact be welcomed with open arms, he added.


Russians in trouble in the East

This particular general has a resume that includes brutality against civilians in other theaters, in Syria, and we can expect more of the same in this theater, Mr. Sullivan said. This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians and the United States … is determined to do all we can to support the Ukrainians as they resist him, as they resist the forces he commands, he emphasised.

There are other clear indications that Russia is encountering serious problems in its campaign in Ukraine.With casualties mounting, Moscow has resorted to calling back troops who have been discharged from duty since 2012, the British Ministry of Defense said Sunday in its daily assessment of the war in Ukraine.

British officials also said Russia is trying to recruit fresh troops from Transnistria, an unrecognized breakaway territory in Moldova.