BB.lv: Russia used chloropicrin in combat operations in Ukraine

IN statement The US State Department on new sanctions once morest Russia also places a serious emphasis on the fact that Russia violated the international Chemical Weapons Convention, which it signed, by using chloropicrin during hostilities in Ukraine, writes Air Force.

Chloropicrin was first used by Germany during the First World War. Currently, it is used primarily as a riot control agent. It is prohibited as a military weapon: the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has included it in its list of prohibited chemical warfare agents. In open publications of the Russian Ministry of Defense, chloropicrin is characterized as an irritating toxic substance.

Russia has not yet officially responded to the State Department’s accusation.

Both Ukraine and Russia have previously accused each other of using banned chemical weapons. The State Department said in a statement that “the use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is likely motivated by Russian forces’ desire to flush Ukrainian forces out of fortified positions and achieve tactical advances on the battlefield.”

The State Department will notify the US Congress of its official conclusion that Russia has violated the Chemical Weapons Convention, and subsequently, as expected, also the OPCW.