Russian occupation forces are carrying out intensive offensive operations in the Novopavlivka axis, widely using toxic substances in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, Spokesperson for the Tavria Operational and Strategic Group of Forces Dmytro Lykhoviy has said.

"In addition to Krasnohorivka, there are the villages of Heorhiyivka, Novomykhailivka, Urozhaine, Peremoha, for which fierce battles are ongoing. Significant enemy forces are concentrated there – it also uses very massive artillery, aircraft, FPV drones there and, among other things, its tactics include, for example, a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention accompanied by dropping grenades containing toxic substances from drones," he said on the national telethon on Thursday.

"This is a violation of the laws of warfare, but this is a mass phenomenon used by the enemy, including in the Novopavlivka direction. For example, yesterday in the operational zone of the Tavria Group of Forces, there were six cases of such use of toxic substances by the enemy," the spokesperson said.

Over the past 24 hours, 25 enemy attacks were repelled in the Avdiyivka axis, and 38 attacks – in the Novopavlivka axis, including the defense of the town of Krasnohorivka, which was previously reported, Lykhoviy said.