War in Ukraine: what is chloropicrin, the chemical weapon from the First World War that Russia is accused of using

The United States accused Russia of using chemical weapons as a “method of warfare” in Ukraine, in violation of international laws that prohibit it.

State Department officials of the North American country said that Russia used the asphyxiating agent chloropicrin to obtain “victories on the battlefield.”

The alleged actions by Russian forces, which U.S. officials said were not an “isolated” incident, would be a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CAQ), which Russia signed.

The Kremlin rejected the allegations, calling them “baseless.”

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a group of journalists in Moscow that Russia complies with the CWC, which prohibits states from developing or acquiring new weapons.

Some 193 countries have ratified the convention.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a global watchdog that oversees implementation of the CWC, says a chemical weapon is a substance used to cause death or intentional harm through its toxic properties.

US says Russia uses chloropicrin to “dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions.”

The substance is oily and was widely used during World War I.

Causes irritation of the lungs, eyes and skin and can cause vomiting, nausea and diarrheaaccording to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The use of this chemical in war is expressly prohibited by the CWC, as it is classified as an asphyxiating agent by the OPCW.

President Joe Biden warned Russia against deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine.

In March 2022, weeks after Moscow launched its invasion, Biden promised that President Vladimir Putin would pay a “severe price” if he authorized the use of these prohibited resources.

“We will respond if you use it. The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use,” the US president said.

But there are reports that Moscow has ignored that warning.

US Undersecretary for Arms Control Mallory Stewart previously said Russia has used chemical riot control agents in the conflict.

And Ukraine says that in recent months its troops faced increasing chemical attacks.

The Reuters news agency reported earlier this year that Russian forces had used grenades loaded with CS and CN tear gas.

The report adds that at least 500 soldiers Ukrainians were treated for exposure to toxic gases and that one of them died after asphyxiating with tear gas.

Three Russian organizations linked to the country’s biological and chemical weapons program were sanctioned by the State Department for their links to the production of chemical agents.

Other companies that contributed to government entities were also sanctioned.

In 2017, the OPCW said Russia had destroyed the last stockpile of Cold War-era weapons, as required by the CWC.

But Moscow has since been accused of make incomplete statements about its reserves, according to the library of the United Kingdom House of Commons.

Since 2017, Russia has been singled out for at least two chemical attacks: the Salisbury attack on a former Soviet intelligence officer and the 2020 poisoning of the late Russian opposition leader. Alexei Navalny.

The indictments are part of a broader package of U.S. sanctions targeting 30 people, including three who several officials say were involved in Navalny’s death.

Russia denies being involved in the death of the opposition leader. But Navalny’s widow accused President Putin of being responsible for his death.

Meanwhile, Russian forces in eastern Ukraine continue their advance ahead of Victory Day celebrations on May 9, the holiday commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II.

Much of the fighting has occurred around Chasiv Yara Kyiv-controlled stronghold that Russia is trying to reach after seizing the city of Avdiivka.

Moscow is believed to want to take over the city before the holidays next week.

All of this comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the head of the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) cybersecurity department, Illya Vityuk, amid accusations that he attempted to use his position to punish a Ukrainian journalist who had reported on allegations of corruption against him.

The journalist was summoned to a military recruitment center, prompting army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to launch an investigation.

Separately, Human Rights Watch – a non-governmental nonprofit organization – has called for an investigation into war crimes after uncovering evidence that Russian forces executed more than a dozen surrendering Ukrainian soldiers.

The events allegedly occurred between December 2023 and February 2024, the agency said in a statement.

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