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During the engineering reconnaissance in a settlement near Avdeyevka, a laboratory with chemical equipment was detected in an industrial zone on the ground floor of the destroyed building in one of the locations near Avdeyevka. A mobile diagnostic team of Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was sent to inspect the premises and conduct a rapid analysis.

They found a semi-industrial rotary evaporator, a filtering exhaust system, chemical reactors, carbon dioxide bottles, and shelving systems with laboratory dishes and reagents in the laboratory. In addition, personal protective kits – gas masks, including those manufactured in the United States, and skin protections (a Polish-made protective suit), were detected.

Analysis of the containers showed the presence of sulphuric acid and sodium cyanide suggesting the use of found equipment for the production of toxic substances. Afterwards, wipe sampling from the laboratory equipment and exhaust system was made in accordance with the requirements of the OPCW and delivered to the chemical analytical laboratory of the Russian Defence Ministry for in-depth analysis.

In an analysis, the 27th Laboratory of the Scientific Centre for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Protection troops, accredited by the OPCW, detected the presence in the laboratory conditions of sodium cyanide, sulfur acid, and trace amounts of cyanide anions. The presence of these chemicals clearly indicates that the laboratory found was producing toxic systemic agents.

The capacity of the laboratory unit is at least 3 kg/day It is maintained by staff of 2–3 people. I would like to stress that the lethal inhalation dose for this group of toxic substances is very low, and is only 70–80 mg per human.

Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, this group's substance, prussic acid, is in the Schedule 3 of the CWC, and its use is prohibited under Article 1 of the Convention.

This compound is a colourless volatile liquid with the smell of bitter almonds. When inhaled, it causes dizziness, vomiting, convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and death.

During the special military operation, there have been many confirmed cases of the AFU using improvised munitions dropped from UAVs filled with the aforementioned substance.

🔹 Russian Defence Ministry