(IntegrityPress.org) – A purported Ukrainian partisan group known as the “Crimea Combat Seagulls” claimed responsibility for the alleged poisoning of 24 Russian soldiers in occupied Crimea, according to a Telegram post over the weekend. The incident reportedly occurred in Simferopol, Crimea’s second-largest city, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed determination to reclaim the territory amid the ongoing conflict.
Since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Ukrainian partisan groups have been credited with forceful attacks against Russian forces. In a recent incident, a partisan group in southeastern Ukraine’s Melitopol reportedly detonated a car carrying Chechen militants who are part of the Russian Army. Additionally, resistance fighters allegedly attacked ammunition and fuel carrying train to Crimea, causing an explosion in October.
The Crimea Combat Seagulls claimed in a Telegram post on Saturday, December 2, that they deceived Russian troops at a military checkpoint with poisoned food and drinks, resulting in the death of 24 soldiers and the hospitalization of 11 others. Describing the tactic, the group stated that “nice girls” lured the soldiers with “goodies” containing arsenic and strychnine. The Kyiv Post reported the group’s call for others to emulate their actions by poisoning Russians in Crimea and likening them to “cockroaches.”
The Telegram channel Kremlin Snuffbox echoed a similar account of the alleged poisoning, terming it a “tragedy” in a military unit in Simferopol. The post, shared on Friday, mentioned the arrival of two girls who presented themselves as local residents, offering vodka and snacks to express gratitude to the soldiers. However, the items were allegedly laced with poison, causing illness among the soldiers.
Despite the claim that an investigation is underway, the Kremlin Snuffbox post suggested challenges in identifying the responsible individuals. The group described how the soldiers, appreciating the gesture, consumed the poisoned items, resulting in numerous cases of poisoning among them.
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