The US Department of State on Wednesday accused Russia of having used a chemical weapon against Ukrainian forces, contravening the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), accusations Moscow denied.
In addition to the chemical agent chloropicrin, Russia used “riot control agents (tear gas) as a method of warfare in Ukraine, also in violation of the CWC,” the department said in a factsheet.
“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,” the state department said.
Photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s military and industrial capabilities, including targeting nearly 300 entities in Russia, China and other countries accused of supporting the Russian invasion.
The sanctions are meant to punish companies that help Moscow acquire weapons for its war in Ukraine. They also target Russian government entities and companies involved in the country’s chemical and biological weapons programs.
Chloropicrin is used as a warfare agent and a pesticide, the US National Institutes of Health said, adding that if inhaled, it poses a health risk.
“Today’s actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by going after its military industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it,” US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said in a statement.
In Moscow yesterday, the Kremlin denied the US accusations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia remained bound by its obligations under the treaty that bans chemical weapons.
“As always, such announcements are absolutely unfounded and are not supported by anything,” Peskov said. “Russia has been and remains committed to its obligations under international law in this area.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
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