It is called chloropicrin, discovered in 1848, it is a mobile colorless liquid. It is enough to breathe for one minute in an atmosphere that contains two grams in a cubic meter of air to die. The US State Department says Russia used it against Ukrainian troops. In violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Moscow also reportedly used tear gas of the type supplied to riot squads as a guerrilla warfare tool. The Department also announced sanctions against 300 companies in Russia, China and other countries accused of arming Moscow. “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is likely driven by the desire of Russian forces to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and gain tactical advantages on the battlefield,” the Department argues.
The prohibition
Chloropicrin as a suffocating agent is banned by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons based in The Hague. The association monitors compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention signed in 1993. The German army used it against Allied troops during the First World War. The Ukrainian military had previously said that Russia had stepped up its illegal use of these types of weapons during its advance into eastern Ukraine. According to Kiev, Russian forces used gas grenades. 500 Ukrainian soldiers were treated for exposure to these toxic substances. One is dead. Russia has denied any involvement. According to the Department, Moscow also violated the convention’s ban on the use of tear gas as a method of warfare. Three state-owned companies linked to chemical and biological weapons programs were sanctioned.
The sanctions
These included a specialized military unit that used chloropicrin against Kiev troops. Four other related companies were also sanctioned. The sanctions freeze U.S. assets belonging to companies and ban American citizens from doing business with them. The CWC prohibits the production and use of chemical weapons. It also requires the 193 countries that have ratified the convention, including Russia and the United States, to destroy any stockpiles of banned chemicals. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the treaty.
Cover photo from: Ukrinform
