Disfigured ex-Ukrainian president reveals his face swelled and erupted with pus after his rice was laced with ‘Agent Orange toxin’
VIKTOR Yushchenko, the former Ukranian president who was poisoned with a toxic chemical has spoken about the effects and hit out at Russia.
Yushchenko, 64, was poisoned in 2004 when he was campaigning in an election against a Russian-backed candidate Viktor Yanukovych.
Yanukovych eventually won the initial vote after Yushchenko became ill while visiting Austria but he was successful after the vote was re-run.
Russian officials claimed the illness was probably caused by bad food and too much alcohol but doctors detected traces of dioxin, which is the toxic chemical used in Agent Orange, in his blood.
They thought the chemical had been placed in his food.
The effects of the chemical distorted his face which was also partially paralysed.
Yushchenko told the BBC that he thought he had been poisoned during a dinner he had with the head of Ukraine’s security and deputy.
He said: "When I arrived home and kissed my wife, the first thing she said was 'your lips taste metallic'.
"I then went to Austria and on the second or third day my body started swelling. My head grew in size dramatically and the pain spread all over my body.
"Then I started having inflammations and pus forming all over my body.
"According to the investigation, the poison was added to the rice which was served at the table."
Replying to the question if he believed the Russian leader Vladimir Putin was behind the poisoning Yushchenko replied: I have an answer, but I cannot voice it."
So far the investigation into the poisoning has taken 14 years and is still not finished.
Referring to the spy poisoning attack in Salisbury earlier this year when Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to a lethal nerve agent he said: "I feel pain for Europe being so blind.
“That European countries are so unfriendly to each other, and have so little solidarity in respect to Russia's policies.
"I would like what we call ‘United Europe’ to finally realise that the biggest challenge for its citizens is the medieval policy that Russia pursues in the 21st century."
Russia has denied being responsible for the March 4 attack.
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