Is Russia getting ready to use chemical weapons in Ukraine?

By David Hambling

There are clear signs that Russia is considering the use of biological and chemical weapons. He said that the Russian president suggested that Russia could release chemical weapons and blame the attack on Ukraine on the Ukrainians.

The Russian shelling of the chemical plant in Sumy, Ukraine, on 21 March, which released ammonia in the area and forced locals to stay indoors, points to one way Russia may escalate the conflict in Ukraine.

Ammonia is used to make nitrate fertiliser. The giant plant, spread over 226 hectares, produces over 120 thousand tonnes of fertiliser a year.