USA accused Russia of violate the international ban on chemical weapons when deploying the asphyxiant agent chloropicrin and use riot control substances against Ukrainian troops in the war. Washington announced new sanctions against Moscow.
“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by the desire of the russian forces to dislodge the forces ukrainian of fortified positions and achieve tactical advances in the battlefield“the State Department said in a statement.
The chloropicrin is defined as a asphyxiating agent and is found prohibited by Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)based in The Hague, an agency created to monitor compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The US denounced Russia for using chemical weapons against Ukraine
At the beginning of April, the Reuters agency reported that the Ukrainian army denounced that Russia had intensified the illegal use of riot control agents as tear gas, “as a method of war in Ukraine, also in violation of convention“, according to a statement from the State Department.
While civilians can usually escape riot gas during protests, soldiers trapped in trenches without gas masks must flee under enemy fire or risk suffocation.
He Department of State He said he would deliver to Congress his determination that Russia’s use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops violated the CWC.
The State Department also determined that Russia has violated the CWC’s ban on the use of riot control agents as a method of warfare, according to the statement.
The US imposed a new wave of sanctions on Russian companies
This Wednesday, USA announced a new wave of sanctions against companies and individuals russians or foreigners who are considered participating in the invasion to Ukraine.
In addition to Russian defense companies, Sanctions affect around sixty foreign companies and individualsin particular Chinese companies, accused of “helping Russia acquire key components for the manufacture of weapons or defense programs,” according to the statement.
In mid-April, USA had announced the ban on imports of aluminum, copper and nickel of Russian origin, as part of additional sanctions adopted together with the United Kingdom with the aim of reducing Moscow’s income and weakening it in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Ambito
