Britain warned Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that “all possible options are on the table” about how the West would respond to his use of chemical weapons amid claims that such an attack had already been launched in Mariupol.
Armed forces minister James Heappey did not rule out that British or Nato troops could be deployed in Ukraine if the Kremlin used chemical weapons as it desperately seeks to capture land in the east of the country. Chemical weapons experts from the US, UK and their allies, as well as in Ukraine, were this morning urgently seeking to identify whether Ukrainian fighters holding out in the besieged port city had been targeted.
Mr Heappey remained cautious about whether Mr Putin’s forces had used chemical weapons, stating that this had not been confirmed. However, he issued a clear warning to the Russian president. “These are appalling weapons to think about using,” he told Sky News. “It’s useful to maintain some ambiguity over exactly what the response would be but let’s be clear if they are used at all then President Putin should know that all possible options are on the table in terms of how the West might respond.”
Asked on LBC Radio whether he could rule out deploying British or Nato troops on Ukrainian soil, Mr Heappey said: “No, all options are on the table.”
However, the West has been wary at allowing Mr Putin to escalate the war into a conflict between Nato and Russia.
A video released by the Azov Regiment, defending Mariupol, said victims of the spread of a “poisonous substance of unknown origin” were in a “relatively satisfactory condition”.
It added that few civilians were believed to have been caught up in the alleged attack, with an elderly woman said to have been the worst affected.
The unidentified agent is said to have been dropped on the city from a drone, according to the unverified reports.
Ukrainian soldiers were “a little bit closer” to the strike but the details remained very unclear given how cut off the city is from the outside world.
Symptoms of victims were said to include facial hyperemia, high blood pressure, heartburn and eye problems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday warned that Russia could resort to chemical weapons and called on the West to impose stronger sanctions on Moscow that would deter even talk of using such weapons.
Britain also warned that Mr Putin’s troops could use phosphorus munitions as he seeks to refocus his military campaign on eastern Ukraine having withdrawn forces from the north of the country and from around Kyiv following the failure of his original lightning invasion plan.
White phosphorus is not banned by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and is routinely used by troops around the world as a smokescreen in daytime and to help light up areas at night. But its incendiary effect means its use can be restricted particularly if it is deployed deliberately to target civilians.
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said of the Mariupol report: “There is a theory that these could be phosphorus munitions.”
Russian-backed separatist forces did not use chemical weapons in their attempts to take full control of Mariupol despite Ukrainian allegations to the contrary, Eduard Basurin, a separatist commander, told the Interfax news agency. On a visit to eastern Russia, Mr Putin defended his invasion of Ukraine as “the right decision”. However, his forces have so far failed to capture any major city as they have been repelled by fierce Ukrainian resistance.
On day 48 of the war, Ukrainian fighters were still believed to be holding out in Mariupol in the south of the country, despite reports that they are running low on ammunition and food.
Mr Heappey praised the “amazing” 36th Marine Brigade of Ukrainian forces holding out in the city. He highlighted their determination to fight to the “last man” and “last bullet”.
Tens of thousands of civilians are feared to have been killed by Russian shelling and air strikes in the city, according to Mr Zelensky.
Russia’s defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the alleged use of chemical weapons.
