Ukrainian town told to shelter after shelling causes leak at ammonia plant

The leak at the chemical plant in Sumy was contained by emergency crew

(MFA of Ukraine)

Emergency crews in Ukraine rushed to contain an ammonia leak at a chemical plant in the northeastern city of Sumy on Monday morning after Russian shelling damaged the facility, an official said.

The residents of nearby Novoselytsya, a northern town, were told to seek shelter in basements for protection within a 2.5km radius around the plant which was deemed hazardous.

“As a result of the shelling 1 tank with ammonia was damaged,” Ukraine’s state emergency services said in a Telegram update.

Rescue workers were fixing a damaged pipeline and an employee at the plant was reportedly injured.

The leak was controlled hours after the damage to a tank at the Sumykhimprom plant, which produces fertilisers with ammonia can be fatal to humans if ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

A video of the leak at the plant shared by Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs showed a white gas emanating from the plant as crew members dressed in green suits worked on the site.

The regional governor of Sumy, Dmytro Zhyvytskyiy, said the leak was first reported at around 4.30 am local time on Monday.

“As a result of Russian enemy shelling, a tank with ammonia with a capacity of 50 tonnes was damaged,” Mr Zhyvytskyiy said on Telegram.

He said the area within a 2.5km radius around the plant was hazardous, urging the residents to take shelter in basements.

“Ammonia is lighter than air, therefore shelters, basements and lower floors should be used for protection,” he added.

This map shows the extent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

Sumy, which is also encircled by Russian troops like Mariupol, is about 350km (220 miles) east of Kyiv and has been experiencing heavy fighting as the conflict is set to enter its fourth week.

Russia which has been accused of intensifying propaganda and disinformation in recent days claimed that “nationalists” had “mined” ammonia at Sumykhimprom plant.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said it was “with the aim of mass poisoning of residents of the Sumy region, in case of entry into the city of units of the Russian Armed Forces”.