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Minister
of Health of Chechen
Republic,
Umar
Khambiev
has carried out analysis of results of application of special arms and
ammunition used by Russian aggressors in territory of ChRI. Importance of this
analysis is more because
Khambiev directly observed
and treated people struck by these arms. In addition to traditional weapons,
Russian armed forces have used in occupied zones of Chechen Republic, weapons of
mass destruction, which are forbidden to use according to Geneva conventions.
Operatively tactical
ground - ground missiles
They blow up in air,
spreading splinters in very extensive perimeters, damaging many victims at a
time. Splinters put rather perceptible damages to cells of human body. The
injured ones die on the spot in some minutes. The traditional ratio between
wounded and killed, one to fourth, is not observed, reaching a proportion of 2
killed and one wounded. October 21, 1999 is launching date for one of ground -
ground rocket in territory of market of Grozny, a maternity hospital, road
service station and a mosque were destroyed and resulted in following losses:
400 persons were lost, 200 persons were wounded. Thus, the number of killed
twice has exceeded number of wounded. Many such other examples can be put
forward to prove the fatal consequences of application of this kind of weapon.
Similar destructive action on cells is connected to a special kind of splinters.
Such splinters - in the form of bars - reach the size of 4õ4õ2 CM, with their sharp
and rough edges. They cause big damage to cells of the struck bodies, causing a
fatal shock. About 70% of the wounded
have died from the wound.
Bombs with
under-pressure or airless environment (vacuum bombs)
These were widely applied
outside of territory of Grozny, mainly underground. Now they are used in
mountain areas in South of Chechen Republic. The damage put to organism by these
bombs has different features. The victims struck in zone of perimeter of
explosion, die within 8-10 hours from strong intoxication. The death comes from
decomposition of vital bodies as a result of destructions at cellular level.
Cells emit toxins into the blood and thus results in general poisoning of
organism. Insufficiency of functions of the vital bodies results in fatal
outcome. Persons, who are struck in epicenter of blast of vacuum bomb,
experiences deterioration of health state as a whole, and it is very rare for
struck person to survive. Their body at external examination is not struck with
visible traumas. Appearance from physical point of view remains, integument is
rather untouched, however bones are broken, internal bodies are destroyed - and
the body turns to shapeless weight, hardly he can be moved to somewhere. It is
extraordinary hard for me to explain the complete descriptions. These are
painful minutes of examination of bodies of injured of all ages, from old men up
to children, but I do it in hope that the international community will forbid
the use of such type of arms against civilians, and in wider plan, against any
alive creature.
Ball and needle bombs
and shells
In spite of the fact that
such kind of weapons is forbidden by Geneva
conventions, but during Chechen conflict these fighting means were used so
frequently as automatic gun Kalashnikov. They are conceived so that to kill
slowly, and result in terrible consequences for the person. The question is
bombs and shells which blow up in air, liberating millions smallest needles and
metal balls. Traumas are small, but quite distinct. Happens so, that victims of
such wounds with needles do not notice the condition within several days. Many
victims, operated even at an initial stage of victims, as it is potentially
fatal creating dangerous complications, did not survive. Percentage of death
rate as a result of paralysis from such kind of weapon in our hospitals has
exceeded 30 %. Ball bombs were applied very widely. Their influence on organism
is identically to influence of needle shells, however parameters of volume of
destructions is higher than perimeter of action.
Reactive installation for
salvo shooting (Grad (Hailstones), Smerch, Uragan (Hurricane), Áóðàòèíî, Skelet (Skeleton))
These kinds of weapon in
dense populated places result in plenty of victims. There is no such region in
Chechen territory, where these
weapons were not applied.
Recently "Skelet" are more often used. We are talking about shells
with a length of more than 2 meters, which are stuck in the ground and fire in
500-600 meters of space, spread huge amount of splinters (in the form small
metal squares extraordinary sharp on edges) in all directions within 4-5 minutes.
" The pipe " remains on the spot as a skeleton. In its internal
surface, there appear set of apertures through which salvo fire is conducted.
The victims, who have appeared in zone of perimeter of action, are struck with a
set of wounds. Death rate reaches practically 100 %. From 46 victims of the
"skeleton", brought to us in hospital, we managed to rescue only one
person.
Mines
Russian armed forces in
Chechen Republic use all kinds of mines. Victims of mines give much more trouble
to doctors, and state. The care of victims from mines needs tremendous efforts
on the part of doctors, time and huge quantity of medicines is needed. On the
other hand, physical inability of such patients creates social problems for the
state. The most brutal and immoral are disguised mines, which have been invented
for paralysis of children. In Chechen Republic many cases of application of
similar mines have been marked. In our hospital, we nursed one child from
Bachi-jurt, who lost a hand, having picked up a mine in the form of a toy, and
other teenager from Tsatsan-Yurt has found the same
sorts of alarm clock.
Cases of use of bombs
and shells filled with unknown poison gas, causing the same symptoms and nervous
- paralytic action, which arise during poisoning of gases.
At the end of July and in
beginning of August, 2000, bombs and shells filled by poison gases, were
launched in Chechen Republic on three directions: in area of
Starie
Atagi, in vicinities of settlement Vedeno and in settlement Tsentoroj, in
district of Nozhaj-Yurt, in the South of
Republic. I personally examined and treated victims from Vedeno and Tsentoroj. Wide publicity has got only one case
found in area
Starie Atagi. Aspiring to provide safety of medical
personnel and that of my own to victims, then I have preferred to be
single-minded concerning the given events. From these reasons, I carefully
misled the medical personnel and population, diagnosing cases of botulism even
if symptoms spoke completely about other effects. In the evening July 27, 2000
in hospital Benoj, where I carried out survey at that time, two persons were
brought in unconsciousness. The question was about two inhabitants 17 and 28
years old of village Vedeno. According to persons accompanying them, one of them
has asked, that he should be taken to hospital, the single medical institution
working in those days in district. When he arrived there, where there was his
comrade, there have already died 4 persons. According to descriptions of
accompanying fellow, the mouth of dead people were filled with mix of saliva and
blood, and their faces had cyanotic shade as if they have been strangled. In
half an hour, two more persons started to suffer from headache and to rave.
Those who accompanied them, have told us, that victims became unbalanced and
lost consciousness on road to hospital. The data of survey of patients:
Inhabitant of Vedeno, 17 years old, in unconsciousness. He is very pale, his
pupils are expanded, with muscular spasms, expressed tachycardia, increased
arterial pressure, and stains from 2 up to 6 centimeters on extremes and on
trunk. His breathing accelerated (till 50-60 respiratory movements per minute).
Plentiful salivation. Neither wounds, nor contusions were seen on body. The same
concerns patient from Vedeno, 28 years old. Three
days after when our wounded still were in unconsciousness, six more person from
Tsenteroi in a coma with identical symptoms were brought to hospital. According
to accompanied person, who have brought them directly from fields where they
worked. Three young people, who accompanied them, have told, that they were
together with them, but we went to village to have meal. Returning after two
hours, they found them in critical condition. All of them suffered from headache,
shouted and, according to the description of accompanied one, behaved "as
lunatics". They yelled from pains in head, roared, showed with fingers’
gestures what tormented them; were possessed by hallucinations, cried, then
laughed. And it is curious that symptoms in accuracy are the same, as at victims
from Vedeno. It became obvious - the question was not of an infectious disease,
as some physicians could assume but poisoning without any clear poisonous
substance. Later, in conversation with the young people, whom I found in the
field, I came to the conclusion that poisoning spread when wood thicket located
nearby was subjected to bombardment and artillery bombardment in the morning.
When I asked them that what could be the reason after poisoning influence on
them, they have answered, what they already thought of it, however guessed. Five
more persons were brought to hospital with similar condition. They are
inhabitants Tsenteroj, at that time they were nearby to a zone, which had
undergone bombardment. The medical personnel did not know that what is necessary
to undertake. These 8 persons behaved in an incomprehensible manner. In any 10
or 15 minutes, extreme excitation was replaced by condition of stupor, and at
last they lost consciousness. Then we began to apply to all patient therapy of
desintoxication. Characteristic symptoms for all patients: headaches, as if
brains are broken off on part, pain in stomach, indisposition in all body,
faintness, sensation of heat, extreme pallor, cold sweat, quickly arising and
disappearing of stain on skin of extremities and trunk, spasms of obverse
muscles, increased secretion of saliva, expanded pupils, tachycardia,
accelerated pulse (140-150 impacts per minute), unstable arterial pressure (from
180-160/120-100 mm up to 80-60/40-30 mm), rapidity of breath, changing breathing
sounds. The next day died two more victims, who were present near to site of
bombardment and firing. Symptoms were the same, but less clearly expressed. All
those, who were brought to hospital, could survive. During treatment, doctors
came across with ethical problems. All the victims were at ages of 17 to 30 year.
It was much more difficult for their relatives to bring them to hospital,
risking their own lives. The relatives refused to offer help because they knew
that army divisions are blocking all roads. They said, that they preferred to
die than to be captured by invaders, fearing never to discover any more bodies
of their relatives. I contacted some of toxicologist through intermediaries in
Daghestan and Ingushetia but it could help.
Within two weeks we carried out intensive desintoxications, which eventually has
resulted in positive results. As soon as there appeared improvement in situation,
relatives have taken out them from hospital, not sure in favorable outcome as
were afraid of the next sortie on part of militaries. All were surprised with
absence of movement of armored vehicles of the armies remaining in the former
locations. When I understood, that there was an application of bombs and the
shells filled with poison gases, the reason of three-week respite arranged by
soldiers became clear to me. Some days before, approximately July 25, soldiers
have suddenly left places of known events, military posts were removed that has
caused hearings about withdrawal of all armies from Chechen Republic. Constant
habitual movements of tank divisions have stopped, down to August 20. Probably
they were sent to reliable place. It means that many officers from army
divisions of the specific area were informed on application of these kinds of
weapon. Knowing that some of us communicated with officers, I have asked,
whether admitted though somebody that actually what has taken place in wood. One
of them has told me: "On the eve of these events, when I passed through a
post (Russian road and transport control), one of my familiar officer warned me
that my people should remain at home and let them not come nearer to wood. That
I did not pay much attention to his words as these places were exposed to
bombardments each day, and people there anyhow were afraid to come nearer".
No doubt that many officers knew that has taken place, and I hope that there
will be even one fair officer, who will open the truth and will give a testimony.
In settlement Starie Àtagi, appearance of poisonings have attributed to
any vests, which have been found out in cemetery, water in which people bathed,
these are only the words of propagation much tried by Russians. To cover up
traces resulted in the most fantastic explanations. At interpretation of the
cases given by us, attempts were carried out to accuse of indispositions of bad
food in spite of the fact that victims were delivered from different places and
in different periods. I was and I remain firmly convinced: three incidents which
have entailed behind so disastrous consequences (in Vedeno, it struck 6 person,
3 persons were lost, in Tsenteroi 18 victims, 2 were lost, in Starie Atagi 15
victims, 6 were lost, that is out of 32 victims only 12 were lost), form parts
of one circuit, and that during 3 days of bombs and shells filled with poison
gases of nervous - paralytic action, were applied in various districts. I think
that international community should not remain indifferent. It is necessary to
demand for conducting of an independent expert appraisal on revealing the use of
similar types of arms and other kinds of weapon. On their suggestion, we, on our
part, are ready to provide patients and testimony.
Dr. Umar
Khambiev
Minister of Health in ChRI
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