Soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine train to break into enemy trenches using simulation equipment as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on February 29, 2024.
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The US formally accused Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops and announced late Wednesday that it was imposing more sanctions on Russian individuals and entities.
The US Department of State issued a statement late Wednesday, in which he accused Russia of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which bans the production and use of chemical weapons, by using the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces.
“We are making this determination in addition to our assessment that Russia has used riot control agents [tear gas] as a method of warfare in Ukraine, also in violation of the CWC. The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably due to the desire of Russian forces to remove Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” the statement said.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov rejected the accusations when asked to comment to reporters on Thursday.
“Yes, we have seen the news on this issue. As always, such announcements sound completely baseless and are not supported by anything. Russia was and remains committed to its obligations under international law in this area,” Peskov told reporters. reported the RIA Novosti news agency.
Chloropicrin was used as a poison gas in World War I, but is now more commonly used in agriculture as an insecticide. No longer authorized for military use, “choking” causes injury primarily to the respiratory tract. It irritates the nose, throat and especially the lungs.
“When inhaled, these agents cause the alveoli, the air sacs in the lungs, to secrete fluid, effectively suffocating those affected.” says the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine train to break into enemy trenches using simulation equipment as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on February 29, 2024.
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In February, Ukraine accused Russia of using chemical weapons in more than 200 battlefield attacks in January alone. Russia has denied the allegations and, in turn, has accused Ukraine of using chemical weapons. Neither has provided evidence for their claims, although soldiers have complained of injuries they suspect were caused by chemical agents.
The use of CS (or tear gas), it is also prohibited as a method of warfare; again, both have accused each other of using tear gas in the conflict.
The US said Russia’s use of such weapons showed a “continued disregard” for its obligations under the CWC, a global treaty in force since 1997 that prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.
Russia is among 193 countries that have ratified the convention, which calls on signatories to declare their stockpiles of banned chemical weapons and facilities and to try to destroy such stockpiles.
The continued use of such weapons, the State Department said, “comes from the same playbook as its operations to poison Alexei Navalny and Sergei and Yulia Skripal with Novichok nerve agents,” referring to the alleged state-orchestrated poisoning of Kremlin opponents with nerve agent. recent years. Russia has denied any involvement in the incidents.
A gas mask used by Russian forces is seen among trash at the Kherson city dump on November 22, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine. In
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The US said it was designating three Russian government entities “linked to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs and four Russian companies that provide support to such entities.”
The Treasury Department, separately, is sanctioning three entities and two individuals “involved in the procurement of items for military establishments involved in Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs.”