The United States has accused Russia of using chemical weapons, including poison gas, as a “method of warfare” against Ukrainian forces, violating a global ban on the use of such weapons.
State Council said in a statement On Wednesday, Russia used chloropicrin, a “suffocating agent” widely used during World War I, as well as tear gas against Ukrainian troops. The use of these gases in warfare is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an arms control treaty ratified by more than 150 countries, including Russia.
The State Department said: “The use of such chemicals was not an isolated incident and may have been driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their fortifications and achieve tactical victory on the battlefield.” Russia has made slow but steady progress this year Breakthrough of Eastern Ukraine Defensescaptured several towns and villages.
The State Department also said the United States would impose sanctions on three state entities related to Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs and four companies that support those programs.
Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, called the accusations that Russian troops used chemical weapons in the incident “disgusting and unsubstantiated.” Post on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian authorities have reported hundreds of cases of suspected Russian use of chemical weapons on the battlefield since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and the rate is accelerating as Moscow continues to launch attacks on the front lines.
Lieutenant Colonel Artem Vlasiuk, an expert on nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological security issues in the Ukrainian Army Department, said that there were about 250 cases of suspected use of chemical weapons by the Russian military in February, which is about five times that number. . March 2023.
He said most of the chemicals used in the attack had been identified as CS gas, the tear gas most commonly used by riot police to control crowds.
While governments use tear gas for domestic law enforcement purposes, it is considered a chemical weapon when used in war, according to the group. Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical WeaponsIt is the executive agency of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Civilians can usually escape tear gas during protests, but soldiers in the trenches have no choice but to flee under enemy fire or risk suffocation.
Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Gyunduz Mamedov said last week Russian forces have used tear gas against Ukrainian troops at least 900 times in the past six months, with more than 1,400 incidents reported since the war began.
In addition to tear gas, Russian troops used chloropicrin, a choking agent that can irritate the nose, throat and lungs when inhaled and can cause nausea and vomiting, the State Department said.
Ukrainian army official have explain The chemicals are often contained in grenades that Russian troops throw at Ukrainian positions, forcing soldiers from their defensive positions. Ukrainian troops lack adequate protective equipment against chemical attacks, such as gas masks.
The U.S. State Department says Russia is ignoring its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention “from the same playbook” as its poison campaign Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader died in a Russian prison in February, and Sergei Skripal, former Russian spy who served as a double agent for the United Kingdomand Novichok nerve agent.
Foreign ministers from various countries gathered at the G7 summit last month said in a statement “Any use by Russia of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons would have serious consequences.”
carlotta gal and Alexander Chubuko Contributed reporting.
