A senior Russian defense official has claimed that Ukraine is preparing for a false flag chemical weapons attack to pin the blame on Russia and attempt to turn Moscow into a pariah at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW. Speaking at a briefing, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia’s chemical and biological defense forces, stated that Moscow “has information about Ukraine’s preparation of false flag attacks aimed at accusing Russia of using toxic substances during the special military operation.” Proof would be provided to OPCW officials.
Kirillov added that Kiev lacks the necessary equipment and expertise to frame Russia, but several dozen Ukrainian specialists received the relevant training from the OPCW as well as a handful of advanced chemical agent detectors. NATO deliveries of chemical protection equipment that far exceed Ukraine’s actual needs are further evidence of an impending false flag attack, according to Kirillov.
Back in July, the US ambassador to the OPCW, Nicole Shampaine, explained the shipments by claiming that the Russian military routinely targets Ukraine with riot control agents and chemical weapons. However, Kirillov dismissed the allegations as “completely unfounded,” recalling that the OPCW had already confirmed in 2017 that Russia had completely destroyed all of its chemical weapons stockpiles. The destruction process was monitored both by the agency and inspectors from Western countries, including the US.
The ultimate goal of the framing, according to the general, is to use the trumped-up “proof” during upcoming OPCW sessions to deprive Russia of the right to vote and sit on various executive bodies. Kiev would find it easier to carry out this plan as Russia is currently not represented in the OPCW Executive Council, he argued.
Russia failed to secure its re-election bid to the council in November 2023. Moscow has said it was essentially “pushed out” of the body, adding that it had turned into another platform completely controlled by the US.
In his briefing, Kirillov also said that Russia registered 400 cases in which Ukraine had used riot-control chemical agents. Russian troops also took over a Ukrainian chemical laboratory producing toxic materials near the Donbass town of Avdeyevka this summer. Furthermore, Kirillov accused Ukraine of using chemical weapons disguised as smoke bombs in August, saying that they were used in the Russian town of Sudzha in Kursk Region. Over 20 people were injured in the attack, he claimed.