On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department accused the Russian military of using prohibited chemical weapons against Ukrainian targets as the war between the two nations approaches its 27th month.
In a press release, the agency stated that chloropicrin, an insecticide that was used as a choking agent in WWI, and riot control aerosols were used by Moscow “as a method of warfare.” If the allegations are true, then their deployment on the battlefield is in violation of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
"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 report said.
As a result of the findings, U.S. sanctions were announced against the biological and chemical warfare units that engage in the distribution of the banned substances and four companies that supply them.
The Russian embassy in Washington has declined to comment on the matter.
