US has accused Russia of using banned choking gas Chloropicrin to drive out Ukrainian troops on Thursday as it launched its biggest advance in the eastern European country two years into its military invasion.
The US Department of state said the riot control agent, also known as nitrochloroform, was used by Russia to dislodge Ukrainian soldiers "from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield".
The use of Chloropicrin is not an "isolated" incident, the US claimed, adding that Russia's act goes against the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) which Russia signed. Moscow has labelled the allegations baseless and denied the use of the chemical substance.
The use and large-scale production of the choking compound is banned by the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which prohibits use of chemical weapons globally.
What is Chloropicrin?
Most commonly used as an insecticide, Chloropicrin's use was weaponised in World War I. The oily substance was one of several gases used to wound and suffocate entrenched soldiers.
The gas works as a toxic irritant that can cause tearing and burning sensations in the eyes, skin and affect the lungs. Inhaling a large amount of it can also cause nausea and vomiting.
A soldier stuck in trenches without gas masks, must either flee under enemy fire or risk suffocating after an attack using chloropcirin.
Both US and Ukraine had alleged that Russia has stepped up the use of regular use of "riot control agents" or tear gas including grenades loaded with CS and CN gases, during its "military operation" in Ukraine.
The use of the gas "comes from the same playbook as its operations to poison" the late opposition leader Alexi Navalny in 2020 and Sergei Skripal in 2018, US said.
US has sanctioned three Russian state entities linked to Moscow's chemical and biological weapons programs, including a specialized military unit that "facilitated the use" of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on three entities and two individuals involved in purchasing items for Russian military institutes involved in the country's chemical and biological weapons programs.
With agency inputs
