The United States has accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control agents as a method of warfare in Ukraine. The State Department stated that Russia’s use of these chemicals is not an isolated incident and is likely driven by their desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions.
Chloropicrin, a banned choking agent listed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, was reportedly used by Russian forces against Ukrainian troops. The Ukrainian military also reported that Russian forces have used grenades loaded with CS and CN gases, resulting in at least 500 Ukrainian soldiers being treated for exposure to toxic substances.
The State Department condemned Russia’s actions, likening their use of chemical weapons to previous incidents involving the poisoning of opposition leaders. Sanctions were imposed on Russian state entities and companies linked to Moscow’s chemical and biological weapons programs.
These new measures come in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Chemical Weapons Convention bans the production and use of chemical weapons, requiring countries to destroy any stocks of banned chemicals. The State Department is expected to convey Russia’s violation of the convention to the OPCW.
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaching the treaty, but the OPCW has not been formally asked to investigate the use of prohibited substances in Ukraine. Reuters has not independently verified the use of banned chemical substances by either side.