Britain Accuses Russia of 'Barbaric' Use of Chemical Weapons in Ukraine

Britain accused Russia of “barbaric” use of chemical weapons in Ukraine Diana Kvasnevskaya

The UK accused Russia of “barbaric” use of chemical weapons in Ukraine/Command of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The UK accused Russia of “barbaric” use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. London also imposed sanctions against three Russian institutions and one individual.

The British government website wrote that Russia is using chloropicrin on the front in Ukraine. This is a substance that the International Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) classifies as a chemical weapon.

What is known about Russia's use of chemical weapons

The Russian Armed Forces' radiological, chemical and biological defence troops and their commander have been sanctioned for using barbaric chemical weapons in Ukraine, the British government said.

They explained that the sanctions targeted:

• The Russian Armed Forces' radiological, chemical and biological defence troops;
• Their leader is the Chief of the Radiochemical and Biological Defense Troops of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Kirillov, who is directly accused of involvement in the use of chemical weapons and the spread of disinformation;
• 27 Scientific Center of the Russian Ministry of Defense;
• 33 Central Research and Testing Institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is involved in the development of chemical and biological weapons.

I have made it my personal mission to challenge this malicious activity, and I will not back down. Russia's brutal and inhumane tactics on the battlefield are abhorrent, and I will use the full arsenal of powers at my disposal to combat Russia's criminal activities. I want to stress that Putin and those who carry out his will have nowhere else to hide, said Foreign Minister David Lemmy.

By the way, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russia continues to use special ammunition loaded with dangerous chemical substances against the Defense Forces.

In particular, the occupiers use, along with conventional means of fire destruction:

• ammunition loaded with dangerous chemical substances, such as K-51 and RG-VO, which are riot control weapons and are prohibited for use as means of warfare;
• there is also a significant proportion of ammunition containing dangerous chemical compounds of unspecified origin type.

250 such cases were recorded in September 2024 alone.

Russia began to systematically use hazardous chemicals in February 2023. In particular, on September 24, 2024, there were 4,228 uses of munitions loaded with hazardous chemicals by the enemy.