/Pogled.info/ The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned NATO not to participate in removing chemical weapons from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Moscow considers such actions counterproductive and dangerous for the environment. Why is the question of chemical weapons on the agenda again and what are the dangers of toxic substances that have been lying at the bottom of the sea for several decades?
Moscow has warned NATO against removing World War II-era chemical weapons and ammunition from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The director of the Second European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Belyaev, noted that this step is counterproductive and could lead to catastrophic consequences for the entire region.
Belyaev drew attention to the increased activity of Western countries, the EU and their controlled organizations on this topic. This causes concern on the part of Moscow. He emphasized that these issues should be discussed first of all in the Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Region, taking into account the opinion of Russia and other countries – allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, as well as the environmental risks of similar actions.
Let us recall that after the end of the war in 1945, several tens of thousands of tons of chemical munitions were sunk into the Baltic Sea. The largest arsenal was thrown in the vicinity of the islands of Gotland and Bornholm. Russian scientists believe that there may be several thousand tons of mustard gas at the bottom.
Earlier it became known that the German authorities plan to launch a program to remove ammunition from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. About 40,000 tons of chemical shells, containing 15,000 tons of toxic substances, may lie in the sea, Politico writes. However, no one knows the exact location of the burials as the weapons were dumped uncontrollably.
“Raising chemical weapons from the bottom of the Baltic Sea is associated with significant risks. Therefore, Moscow insists on a preliminary study of the burial sites, including with the participation of our scientists,” said Alexei Anpilogov, president of the Foundation for the Support of Scientific Research and Development of Civil Initiatives “Osnovanie”, an expert in the field of nuclear energy.
“Furthermore, the withdrawal of chemical weapons from NATO countries without the consent of Russia is counterproductive from a diplomatic point of view. NATO has decided that the Baltic is an internal sea of the Alliance. That is, the West simply decided to carry out dangerous work in the immediate vicinity of our territories,” the interlocutor notes.
“It should also be noted that a number of NATO countries, for example Belgium and the United States, although they are required to destroy their chemical weapons, do not have the technology to do so. Cargo lifted from the bottom of the sea can therefore end up in warehouses. Russia, on the contrary, has extensive experience in destroying munitions with toxic substances, but was not invited to this project,” he emphasizes.
“Russia also fears the environmental risks of manipulating burial sites. The fact is that the water in this part of the water area is cloudy due to the large number of flowing rivers. And in such conditions, the human factor cannot be excluded. And any mistake can be fatal,” emphasizes the expert.
“Ammunition cemeteries are known only in general terms. They were drowned after the defeat of Germany in the Great Patriotic War – and this was done uncontrollably. Russia quite rightly fears that chemical weapons may be located near the edge of the Kaliningrad region. A lifting accident in this case will cost our territory and people dearly,” explains the interlocutor.
“The specific type of chemical weapon that was sunk in the Baltic is also unknown. But even if we knew exactly what we would see there, munitions expertise would still be required. After all, the toxic substances contained in them can change their composition under the influence of high pressure and sea salt,” he notes.
“If the contents of the munitions get into the water, many residents of the Baltic Sea coast can at best be poisoned,” admits Anpilogov. “In the worst case scenario, people will die, as well as all nature in the disaster zone,” adds the expert.
“NATO’s desire to remove World War II-era chemical weapons from the bottom of the Baltic Sea is a provocation. Such an unexpected appearance on the agenda of a problem that has not been paid attention to for many years has a political character. But the Alliance, like most countries in the region, is not able to safely conduct this operation,” said Nikolai Mezhevich, president of the Russian Association for Baltic Studies.
“What’s more, these weapons have now become a source of terrible danger to all life forms. Ammunition must be stored under appropriate conditions, and these shells lie at the bottom of the sea for many years. In addition, it is not known how they were stored before the sinking, since they were produced 10-15 years before the end of the Second World War,” the interlocutor emphasizes.
“If the lift-off takes place near Kaliningrad, then this can clearly be interpreted as an attempt by NATO to create an environmental disaster in relation to Russian territory. These actions threaten the poisoning of people and the destruction of the entire ecosystem around our region,” Mežević concluded.
Translation: V. Sergeev
March for Peace, 26.11.23, 2 p.m., NDK: https://www.facebook.com/events/368621645621417/?active_tab=discussion
Our new Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aktualenpogled/videos
Our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@user-xp6re1cq8h
Our Telegram channel: https://t.me/pogled
Go directly to the site: https://www.pogled.info
This is how we will overcome the limitations.
Share on your profiles, with friends, in groups and on pages.
Become a friend of Look.info on facebook and recommend to your friends
2023-11-26 06:06:47
#NATO #Hitlers #weapon #Kaliningrad
