Posted on 03/14/2003 9:20:37 AM PST by knighthawk
Ukraine's security service has said it has foiled an attempt to sell 80 kilograms of a toxic substance used as chemical weapon during World War I, the Ukrainian news agency Interfax-Ukraine reported on 14 March.
The substance, chloropicrin, is an oily colourless liquid which quickly evaporates, acts as an irritant and can be fatal if inhaled. The Ukrainian army uses chloropicrin to train soldiers how to protect themselves from a chemical attack, the agency said.
Ukraine's security service, the SBU, was alerted when it received intelligence reports about an attempt to sell an unidentified quantity of the substance. About 80 kilograms of chloropicrin was stolen from a warehouse of a nuclear, chemical and radiological protection unit in Dnipropetrovsk Region, eastern Ukraine. Three servicemen who tried to sell the substance were caught red-handed after the SBU planted an agent among them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.