On Wednesday, the US State Department issued a statement blasting the Russian government for violating the international chemical weapons ban by utilizing chloropicrin, a choking agent, against the Ukrainian military and riot control agents in Ukraine.
The State Department added that this incident was not the first time the Kremlin used such chemicals.
“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield.”
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov vehemently denied such accusations and told reporters that Russia has upheld its obligations under the treaty that prohibits the use of chemical weapons.
“As always, such announcements are absolutely unfounded and are not supported by anything. Russia has been and remains committed to its obligations under international law in this area,” Peskov said.
Chloropicrin was among the chemical weapons listed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which was formed to impose and monitor compliance of member countries with the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
In World War I, German troops fired gas against Allied forces; this was among the first instances that a chemical weapon was utilized in war.
The Ukrainian military reported that Russian forces also used grenades containing CS and CN gases, aside from chloropicrin, affecting 500 Ukrainian soldiers who were exposed to such substances.
Furthermore, the US State Department warned that they would impose sanctions on three state officials involved in Russia’s use of chemical and biological weapons and four companies that support producing them.
In a post on Telegram, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the US, hit on such allegations and called them “odious and unsubstantiated.”
Ukraine’s deputy prosecutor general, Gyunduz Mamedow, also noted that the Russian troops have utilized tear gas against the Ukrainian army at least 900 times since December last year.
Ukrainian army officials also complained that the Russians throw grenades containing prohibited gases at Ukrainian positions.
Along with its statement, the US State Department sanctioned hundreds of companies involved in the Kremlin’s war—this includes drones, industrial chemical manufacturers, and machine tool importers.
The sanctioned individuals and companies will not be able to access properties in the US and other countries or their ability to travel and conduct business in the US.
Both warring countries, Russia and Ukraine, accused each other of violating the treaty; however, OPCW stated that no one has formally requested a formal investigation.
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Author: The Raging Patriot
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