An official in Ukraine reported on Thursday night that two Russian officers were killed and 15 other servicemen were hospitalized after a "mass poisoning attack" that occurred during a festive event in the city of Mariupol.
Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol in Ukraine, reported the incident on the Telegram app and wrote that "the poisoning was carried out by Ukrainian partisans while Kremlin forces celebrated Navy Day last Sunday." According to him, "During the celebration, the officers were poisoned in one of the military facilities."
The Kremlin believes that the poisoning was caused by cyanide pills and pesticides that were placed near the food plates. As a result, they claimed, 17 Russian servicemen were hospitalized in serious condition, and two other officers later died.
They also revealed that the poisoning was carried out by a group called "Y", which is part of the pro-Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol.
Growing concern from Kremlin officials
On Thursday night, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated that there is growing concern among senior officials in the Kremlin about the increase in Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
After this week, two UAV attacks took place on the capital Moscow and even caused damage to the office buildings in the city's business district. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense began allocating weapons again to the army forces in the area of the city of Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine, and in the area of the city of Kursk.
Experts at the institute believe that the increased fear among senior officials in the Kremlin stems from constant anxiety about Russia's internal security capabilities.
This was mainly after the military revolt that happened in June by the mercenaries of the "Wagner Group". It was also reported that "the allocation of weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, and military vehicles to these areas stems from the concern that Ukraine will increase its attacks in the area"