Foreign Secretary Liz Truss vowed to hold Vladimir Putin “and his regime to account” if it is proven Russian forces used chemical agents in an attack on Mariupol. She tweeted last night: “Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol. We are working urgently with partners to verify details.
“Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a "mandatory" oil embargo against Russia to force the invading nation to halt its warnings over potential use of chemical weapons. He said upcoming sanctions being discussed by the EU must be strong enough "that even a word about weapons of mass destruction is no longer heard from the Russian side"
Earlier, the mayor of Mariupol said that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city, and that the death toll could surpass 20,000.
Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.
Truss set to draw red line if Putin uses chemical weapons
The Foreign Secretary has vowed to hold Vladimir Putin “and his regime to account” if it is proven Russian forces used chemical agents in an attack on Mariupol.
Liz Truss tweeted last night: “Reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents in an attack on the people of Mariupol. We are working urgently with partners to verify details. Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account.”
The city’s Azov regiment reported soldiers were left dizzy and unable to breathe after a “poisonous substance of unknown origin” was dropped on them from a Russian drone, according to the Daily Mail. It came hours after Mariupol’s mayor said more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and the death toll could surpass 20,000.
Mayor Vadym Boychenko also said Russian forces brought mobile cremation equipment to the city to dispose of the bodies, and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to conceal the carnage.
Meanwhile, late on Monday Ukraine’s parliament said Russian forces had fired on nitric acid tanks in Donetsk, with residents of the eastern city urged to prepare “protective face masks soaked in soda solution”.
The UK will work with allies to “investigate war crimes and ensure justice is done”, a Foreign Office spokesman said.
Zelensky urges Russian oil embargo amid chemical weapons fear
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a "mandatory" oil embargo against Russia to force the invading nation to halt its warnings over potential use of chemical weapons.
Speaking on the 47th day of the Russian invasion, Zelensky said the European Union is working on a sixth package of sanctions against Russia - adding that the package must be strong enough "that even a word about weapons of mass destruction is no longer heard from the Russian side". He warned: "Any new package of sanctions against Russia that does not affect oil will be received in Moscow with a smile."
Mr Zelensky condemned the use of mines by the Russian forces, saying: "The occupiers left mines everywhere. In the houses they seized. Just on the streets, in the fields. They mined people's property, mined cars, doors. They consciously did everything to make the return to these areas after deoccupation as dangerous as possible."
And he said he had met with experts to work on "a legal way to bring the occupiers to justice, which will be as effective and as fast as possible".
Mr Zelensky also held talks with Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre and the Chairperson of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall.
Disturbing footage of vehicles with Russian flags on motorway
Elsewhere, a video that shows a convoy of cars with Russian flags and symbols on a Dublin motorway has been posted on twitter. Twitter user @JustDave87 posted the video on Sunday (April 10).
The footage shows approximately 10 cars with Russian flags driving in succession on the M50, Dublin, Ireland. He said: “I recorded this myself at about 2pm on a motorway in Dublin.”
One of the vehicles is has been painted with the letter ‘Z’, which has become a pro-war symbol since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The video was posted in response to a tweet from the Ukrainian Embassy in Ireland sharing a different video showing off the same convoy in an unknown location.
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