Russia attacks acid tank that could blind Ukrainians

Russian troops blew up an industrial acid tank in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday – releasing a dangerous cloud of toxic fumes that could blind locals, Ukrainian officials said.

The blast in Rubizhne, in the Luhansk region, sparked panic as Ukrainian officials urged locals to stay in bomb shelters or seal their windows and doors if inside their homes.

The governor of the Lugansk region, Serhiy Haidai, warned that the toxic fumes could cause “severe damage”.

“Nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed and hit on the skin,” Haidai said in a Facebook alert to residents.

“When applied topically to the eye, nitric acid causes severe damage with extensive necrosis of the cornea and conjunctiva resulting in loss of vision.”

He added: “Don’t leave air raid shelters. If you are indoors, close windows and doors.”

Photos posted to social media purporting to show the tank explosion captured thick orange smoke billowing into the air.

Luhansk is part of the Donbass region, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014.

The Russians denied responsibility for the blast, saying in a Telegram post that “Ukrainian nationalist formations” were to blame.

The Russian-backed separatists said Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city after the blast.

Western governments have previously said they fear Russia could launch a chemical weapons attack as part of its ongoing war in Ukraine and blame the other side.

With postal wires