Russia strikes ‘nitric acid tank’ at chemical plant in Ukraine’s Severodonetsk: governor

Remaining residents urged to stay in shelters to avoid dangerous gas as Ukraine president slams ‘madness’ of latest strike.

A noxious cloud rises over Severodonetsk after a nitric acid tank was struck by Russian forces. Picture: Twitter

Russian forces struck a tank containing nitric acid at a chemical plant in Ukraine’s eastern city of Severodonetsk that they are trying to seize, the local governor said overnight (AEST), calling on people to stay in shelters.

An air strike by Moscow forces “hit a tank with nitric acid at a chemical plant”, the governor of the Lugansk region, Sergiy Gaiday, said on Telegram.

“Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed and in contact with skin,” he added.

“Do not come out of shelters!” Gaiday said.

He asked remaining residents in the city – which has seen fierce battles for days – to “prepare protective face masks impregnated with soda solution”.

A fighter of the Armed Forces of #Ukraine filmed a cloud of nitric acid, which was formed after the Rashists shelling of the chemical plant in #Severodonetsk. pic.twitter.com/BK15WZrhth

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 31, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s air strike at a chemical plant in Severodonetsk was “just crazy”.

But it is “no longer surprising that for the Russian military, for Russian commanders, for Russian soldiers, any madness is absolutely acceptable”, Zelensky said in an evening video address on Telegram.

Pro-Moscow separatist authorities said the tank had “exploded” on territory controlled by Ukrainian forces.

“At the Azot chemical plant, a container with chemicals was blown up. Preliminarily, it is nitric acid,” Rodion Mironchik, a representative of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, said on Telegram.

He said the territory of the plant was under Ukrainian control. Ukrainian officials said overnight (AEST) that advancing Moscow forces now control most of Severodonetsk, a key goal for the Russian army.

AFP