Russian attack leads to Ammonia leak at chemical facility in Ukraine; 5 km radius polluted

Amid the intensified Russia-Ukraine war, an Ukrainian official stated on early Monday that an ammonia leak at a chemical facility in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy has polluted the region over a radius of more than 5 kilometres. Dmytro Zhyvytsky, the governor of Sumy Oblast, reported on March 21 that a Russian bombardment has caused the leak of ammonia from the Sumykhimprom chemical factory around 4:30 a.m. (local time), The Kyiv Independent reported.  

It is worth noting that ammonia is a colourless, smelly, and poisonous gas and if inhaled in high amounts, can be lethal. Further, the impacted region, which includes the settlements of Novoselytsya and Verkhnya Syrovatka, is believed to be roughly 2.5 kilometres from the affected site. 

Sumy inhabitants not in danger

In addition to this, as per The Kyiv Independent, Sumy inhabitants are not in danger. The Sumykhimprom factory is located on the outskirts of the city, which has a population of roughly 263,000 people, has been bombarded by Russian soldiers on a regular basis in recent weeks.

Furthermore, authorities advised residents in the affected region that if ammonia is discovered, they should seek immediate refuge underground, or must go to their bathrooms and turn on their showers at a fine mist, and should breathe through a damp bandage (ideally soaked with a 5% acetic or citric acid solution), The Kyiv Independent reported. 

The ammonia leak came after the intense bombardment happened in Europe's biggest nuclear facility in Eastern Ukraine in the early hours of March 4, as per the Ukrainian authorities, which led to massive fires at multiple structures and infrastructure. The blaze in the training building of Zaporizhzhia NPP in Energodar was doused at 06:20 a.m., according to Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs. Following the incident, no victims were reported. 

Apart from these, on March 10, according to media reports, it was revealed that Russian soldiers had attacked the Sumy region's north-eastern city of Okhtyrka, killing a 13-year-old boy as well as two women. Indicating the incident, Dmytro Zhyvytsky stated, “Enemy aviation hit residential houses. Five people were rescued from the falls, two of them children. Also, the police department was partially destroyed.” 

Meanwhile, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), almost 10 million Ukrainian nationals have fled abroad in search of security or have been internally displaced due to Russian president Vladimir Putin's aggression against Ukraine in recent weeks.

(Image: AP)