Bellingcat and WSJ: Among the poisoned participants of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations was Roman Abramovich

The investigative project Bellingcat reported on Twitter that it confirms information that several participants in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on March 3 had symptoms of poisoning similar to those caused by the use of chemical weapons.

In total, according to Bellingcat, three participants in the negotiations, including businessman Roman Abramovich, had such symptoms on the night of March 4.

Participants in the negotiations complained of inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes of the eyes, as well as sharp pain in the eyes that did not go away for several hours.

Bellingcat writes that the negotiations took place on Ukrainian territory, without providing details.

The Wall Street Journal, in turn, reports that Abramovich and two other participants in the negotiations, including Rustem Umerov, felt ill after the negotiations in Kiev.

According to the WSJ, Abramovich also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, who showed no symptoms of poisoning.

Representatives of the Ukrainian side, writes WSJ, linked the poisoning with an attempt by some forces in the Kremlin to disrupt peace talks. A source close to Abramovich told the publication that he does not know who is behind the poisoning attempt.

Update: Adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak, who is participating in the negotiations, commented on the WSJ and Bellingcat publications as follows: "All members of the negotiating group are working today in the usual mode. There are currently many information speculations, various conspiracy theories and elements of one or another information game in the information field. Therefore, I repeat once again - members of the negotiating groups are working today in the normal mode."

• Unofficial sources reported in late February and early March that Roman Abramovich was taking part in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Abramovich's visit to Ukraine and talks in Kyiv were not previously known. According to official data, Russia and Ukraine held several rounds of face-to-face talks in Belarus, and then the delegations continued their communication via video link. A new face-to-face round of talks is to take place in Istanbul.
• Earlier, on March 28, the Agency wrote that a member of the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia, Verkhovna Rada deputy Rustem Umerov, was poisoned in March and temporarily dropped out of the negotiators. One of the Agency's sources stated that Umerov was not the only victim, but did not disclose any details.