The World Health Organization said Thursday that it is preparing contingency plans for possible “chemical assaults” in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
The news: Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said during a Thursday briefing from Lviv, Ukraine, that chemical attacks could happen in Ukraine and that the WHO is preparing for that possibility.
- He did not give specifics about the WHO’s potential plan.
What he said: “Given the uncertainties of the current situation, there are no assurances that the war will not get worse,” Kluge said at the briefing, per Reuters.
- “WHO is considering all scenarios and making contingencies for different situations that could afflict the people of Ukraine, from the continued treatment of mass casualties to chemical assaults,” he said.
Flashback: The Biden administration said in early March that Russia might use chemical or biological weapons in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The bigger picture: The Biden administration rejected claims made by Russia at the time that there had been “illegal chemical weapons development in the country it has invaded,” according to The Associated Press.
- The U.S. rejected Russia’s claims, saying Russia wanted “to justify a false-flag operation for them using chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine themselves.”
- “We do believe that we should be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons,” the official said.