Washington accuses the Russian army of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces to achieve tactical advances

The United States on Wednesday accused the Russian army of using a chemical weapon, chloropicrin, against Ukrainian forces, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The US State Department said in a statement that Russia also resorted to chemicals intended primarily for riot control (tear gas grenades) and used them against Ukrainian forces as a method of warfare in Ukraine, which also constitutes a violation of the treaty.

The statement added, “The use of these chemicals isn’t an isolated incident and is most likely motivated by the desire of Russian forces to defeat Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical progress on the battlefield”.

This accusation came shortly after Washington announced that it had imposed a new wave of sanctions on Russian and foreign companies and individuals accused of participating in the Russian war effort in invading Ukraine.

In addition to Russian defense companies and Chinese entities, these sanctions include a number of research centers and companies involved in Russian chemical and biological weapons programs.

In its statement, the US State Department said that “Russia’s continued disregard for its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention is consistent with the poisonings of Alexei Navalny, Sergei and Yulia Skripal with Novichok nerve agents”.

Alexei Navalny, a former opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, died on February 16 after he was exposed to a dangerous poisoning that the Kremlin was accused of being behind.

As for former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, they were poisoned in England in 2018.

Russia asserts that it no longer possesses a military chemical arsenal, but it is under increasing pressure to show more transparency about the poisoning operations it’s accused of.

According to the National Institutes of Health, chloropicrin is a chemical that has been used as a chemical weapon and insecticide, and inhaling it poses a health risk.

In addition to Russian companies, the new US sanctions target about sixty foreign individuals and companies, Chinese in particular, on charges of “helping Russia acquire basic components for the weapons industry or defense programs,” according to an official statement.

The statement quoted US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen as saying, “The sanctions taken today aim to cause further disruption and weaken the Russian war effort by exposing its basic military industry and the circumvention networks of the current sanctions that help it supply”.

Of the foreign companies targeted, there are 16 companies from China or Hong Kong, the majority of which are accused of helping Russia supply banned components.

In addition, two of them were accused of purchasing materials needed to produce military munitions.

The sanctions include companies from five other countries: the UAE, Türkiye and Azerbaijan, in addition to Belgium and Slovakia, which are two countries in the European Union.

About 100 Russian companies, out of more than 200 targeted, operate particularly in the defense, transportation and technology sectors.

Several companies are involved in Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs.

The sanctions also aim to restrict the possibility of developing gas and oil infrastructure in Russia, which would allow it to export fuel more easily, especially to China.

Export is currently carried out by oil or gas tankers due to the lack of sufficient pipelines to the east.

These sanctions, which are also addressed by the US State Department, specifically provide for freezing the assets of targeted companies or individuals residing in the United States, and also prevent US entities or citizens from dealing with those targeted by the sanctions.

The persons involved are also prohibited from entering the United States.

The G7 countries, the European Union and many friendly countries, such as Australia and South Korea, have doubled sanctions against Russia since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.

These sanctions aim to reduce Russia’s financing capabilities for the war effort and its ability to supply the necessary components and materials for its equipment.

It also led to the freezing of the assets of many of the most prominent Russian leaders and businessmen close to the Kremlin, in addition to Russian government institutions, especially the Central Bank.

The latest sanctions specifically targeted the Russian mining sector, especially aluminum, copper and nickel, the export of which to the United States and the United Kingdom is now prohibited.