New Delhi: According to media reports, Moscow has made fresh accusations that Kyiv is poisoning Russian soldiers in Ukraine.

As per Al Jazeera, Russia’s defence ministry has accused Ukraine of poisoning some of its servicemen in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia in late July.

Expired meat caused poisoning?

In response to the alleged poisoning, an advisor to Ukraine’s interior ministry said that the poisoning could have been caused by Russian forces eating expired canned meat.

Serious poisoning in Russian soldiers

The Russian Defence Ministry said in statement that, “a number of Russian servicemen had been taken to a military hospital with signs of serious poisoning on July 31.”

Poisoned with this

“Tests showed a toxic substance, botulinum toxin type B, in their bodies,” it said.

“Russia is preparing supporting evidence with the results of all the analyses,” the ministry said in a statement.

Macron talks to Putin

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held a telephonic conversation on Friday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Shelling nuclear power plant can be catastrophic

During the phone call, Putin stressed that “the systematic shelling by the Ukrainian military” of the territory of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) creates the danger of a catastrophe that could lead to vast radiation contamination.

Strikes in Zaporizhzhia

A statement was also released following the telephonic conversation between Vladimir Putin and Emanuel Macron. “The discussion focused on various aspects of the situation around Ukraine. Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that the regular strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by the Ukrainian military create the danger of a major nuclear disaster. This could lead to radiation contamination of vast territories,” the statement read.

Russian troops inside Zaporizhzhia power plant

Videos have emerged which shows Russian military vehicles inside the Zaporizhizhia power plants. The vehicles are standing next to one out of four nuclear reactors present in the Nuclear power plant.

Russian military vehicles *inside* the #Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. Sources of investigative reporters at the Insider previously stated the vehicles were filled with explosives as they were taken inside the buildings. https://t.co/sidFpMP0gM pic.twitter.com/SiQrM3mPGW

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) August 18, 2022