Bungling Russian troops blew up a tank of poisonous nitric acid only to watch the wind waft it back towards them, it has emerged from Ukraine.

Images of the brown cloud of noxious gas appeared from under-fire Luhansk Oblast as local forces mocked their Russian enemy.

The Luhansk Regional Military Administration said: “The Russians do not know how to fight – they did not even calculate which direction the wind blows.”

Parts of the region – Rubizhne, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Severodonetsk and Zolote – endured heavy bombardments over the weekend.

Luhansk Oblast governor Serhiy Haidai said on 9th April: “Chemical attack again! Near Rubezhnoye, the orcs hit a tank with nitric acid again!”

The governor advised residents to “not come out of hiding” and to “close all doors and windows” in homes.

He pointed out: “Effects on humans: nitric acid is dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or in contact with skin and mucous membranes.”

Haidai said the “acidic fumes are irritating to the respiratory tract” and can lead to “bronchitis, dizziness, drowsiness and – in severe poisoning – pulmonary oedema”.

The governor advised citizens to use gas masks to “protect against nitric acid vapour and mist”.

He offered as a tip: “If nitric acid gets into the eyes, rinse them under running water for 10 to 30 minutes. In case of contact with skin, wash the affected area with water, adding baking soda or soap.”

He added: “Follow the direction of the wind!”

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 47th day of the invasion.

From 24th February to 11th April, the total combat losses of Russian troops stand at 19,500 personnel, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military also claims that Russia has lost 725 tanks, 1,923 armoured fighting vehicles, 347 artillery systems, 111 multiple launch rocket systems, 55 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 154 aircraft, 137 helicopters, 1,387 motor vehicles, seven boats/cutters, 76 fuel tanks, 119 unmanned aerial vehicles, 25 special equipment units and four mobile SRBM systems.

Russia is shifting its focus to eastern and southern Ukraine after withdrawing its troops from the north of the country.

The Kremlin says its actions are to protect Russian speakers, who predominate in Ukraine’s east and south and who are victims of a “genocide” carried out by Kyiv.

The genocide claim has widely been dismissed as baseless outside Russia.

Parts of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts have been under pro-Russian separatist occupation since 2014.