On Wednesday, the United States accused Russia of violating the international ban on the use of chemical weapons.
This accusation comes after Russia deployed chloropicrin, a choking agent, against Ukrainian troops. Russia is also using riot control agents as a form of warfare. According to a statement made by the State Department, “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident”. Furthermore, the use of such weapons is “probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains”. With origins dating back to the first use by the Germans in WWI, Chloropicrin has been designated as a banned choking agent by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The Russian embassy has not commented on its use. Other reports from the Ukrainian military have stated that Russia is using riot control agents to aid advances in Eastern Ukraine. Other Ukrainian reports state that Russian forces are using grenades that are equipped with CS and CN gases. The State Department also determined that Russia has breached the CWC’s prohibition on the use of riot control agents as a weapon of war. As a result, the State Department will issue sanctions on three Russian state entities. These entities are linked to Moscow’s chemical and biological weapons programs. Some of which are specialized in developing these weapons for use against Ukrainians. An additional four Russian companies, that support the three entities, were also sanctioned.
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