The US accuses Russia of violating an international prohibition by employing “chemical weapons” in Ukraine

On Wednesday, the United States Department of State levied accusations against Russia for employing chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the paralyzing agent chloropicrin, against Ukrainian forces. Additionally, sanctions were issued against more than 280 individuals and entities on the grounds of foreign aggression and internal repression.

Washington further levied allegations against Russia, alleging that it employed unrest control agents in Ukraine “as a method of warfare” and in violation of an international prohibition on chemical weapons.
Reimposing restrictions on foreign military financing, US Government lines of credit, and export licenses for defense articles and national security-sensitive items destined for Russia was announced by the State Department. Additionally, four Russian companies that have provided support to Russian government entities involved in chemical and biological weapons programs were sanctioned by the Department.

“The United States shall persist in employing the available means to impede assistance to Russia’s military-industrial infrastructure and restrict Russia’s utilization of the global financial system to advance its conflict against Ukraine. “Our solidarity remains with the Russian people as they work toward a more democratic future and with the Ukrainian people as they defend their country against Russian aggression,” the statement continued.

Utilization of chloropicrin by Russia in Ukraine
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), headquartered in The Hague, has classified chloropicrin as a prohibited suffocating agent. The OPCW was established with the purpose of ensuring adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) of 1993. During World War I, German forces employed gas against Allied forces, representing an early instance of chemical weaponry in action.

In accordance with the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act), the United States State Department has determined that Russia violated the CWC by employing chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces. “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 department further stated in its press release.

In addition, the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Acoustics and the Russian Defense Ministry’s 48th Central Science and Radiological Defense Troops were sanctioned by Washington for their participation in the daily operations of Moscow’s chemical weapons program and for facilitating the use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops. Furthermore, the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Acoustics was sanctioned for its involvement in the procurement and inventory of chemicals used in the production of chemical weapons agents.

Riot control and other toxic substances and pollutants
The Ukrainian military previously reported that Russia has increased the illicit use of riot control agents as it advances in eastern Ukraine at its fastest rate in over two years. The Ukrainian military asserts that Russian forces have employed munitions containing CS and CN gases in addition to chloropicrin. At least 500 Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly been treated for toxic substance exposure, and one has died by suffocating from tear gas.

During protests, while civilians can typically avoid riot control gases, soldiers stranded in trenches without gas masks are forced to evacuate under hostile fire or risk suffocation. The statement said Moscow’s use of the gas “comes from the same playbook as its operations to poison” Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020 and Novichok in 2018, respectively.

In a separate development, the United States Treasury levied sanctions against two individuals and three entities that were involved in the procurement of supplies for Russian military institutes that were engaged in chemical and biological weapons programs. The sanctions were among additional measures that the United States unveiled on Wednesday in retaliation for Russia’s complete invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The CWC prohibits both the manufacture and application of chemical weapons. Additionally, the convention mandates that the 193 ratifying countries, including Russia and the United States, eliminate any remaining stocks of prohibited compounds. Russia and Ukraine have exchanged accusations of treaty violations during OPCW meetings.