#Latest #accusations #Russia #chemical #weapons #Ukraine
Jakarta –
The United States (US) threw accusations at Russia. The accusation was in the form of a Russian chemical weapons attack on Ukraine.
Washington also said Moscow had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention. The US Department of State made this accusation in a factsheet released on Wednesday (1/5) local time.
As reported AFPThursday (2/5/2024), the US said that Russia not only used the chemical agent chloropicrin, but also used “riot control agents (tear gas) as a method of warfare in Ukraine.
“The use of such chemicals was not an isolated incident, and may have been driven by the desire of Russian forces to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve a tactical advantage on the battlefield,” the US State Department said in its factsheet.
US Sanctions Companies Helping Russia
The US Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s military and industrial capabilities. Including targeting nearly 300 entities in Russia, China and several other countries accused of supporting President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The series of sanctions are intended to punish companies that help Moscow obtain weapons for its war in Ukraine. They also targeted Russian government entities and companies involved in chemical and biological weapons programs in the country.
Russia has said it no longer has military chemical arsenals. But the country is facing pressure to be more transparent about its alleged use of poisonous weapons.
According to the US National Institutes of Health, the chemical agent chloropicrin is used as a warfare agent and pesticide. If inhaled, it can trigger health risks.
“Today’s actions will further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war effort by attacking its military-industrial base and the evasion networks that help supply it,” US Treasury Secretary Janey Yellen said in a statement.
As part of the action, the US State Department blacklisted individuals and companies involved in Russia’s energy, mining and metals sectors.
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(azh/azh)
