#Russia #violating #ban #chemical #weapons #Ukraine
The United States accuses Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukraine. The USA is planning to introduce new, comprehensive sanctions against Russian companies and government agencies, reports a CNN. Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front, according to the Ukrainians, 124 clashes took place in a single day.
The US State Department said in a statement on Wednesday that Russia had used chlorpicrin against Ukrainian forces. They added: Russia used drugs during riots during the war, including tear gas against the Ukrainians. “The use of such chemical substances is not unique, the Russian forces may be behind it to push the Ukrainian forces out of their positions,” they wrote.
The Americans’ accusation is in line with the testimonies of Ukrainian soldiers, who said that in recent months they have increasingly encountered gas and other irritating chemical substances in some parts of their front line with Russian forces. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. “There are no chemical weapons in the stocks of the Russian army, which has been confirmed by international investigations,” wrote the Russian embassy in the Netherlands back in January.
Chloropicrin was widely used in World War I, but is no longer approved for military use. Today, it is mainly used in agriculture. The substance irritates the lungs, eyes and skin, and can cause weeks of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
More than a hundred clashes in one day
A Russian ballistic missile hit a postal warehouse in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa late on Wednesday, reports the . According to the regional governor, 14 people were injured and a large fire broke out. It was the third rocket attack on the city in recent days. Images and videos posted online show flames and clouds of smoke. Russia denies any attacks against civilian targets.
The postal warehouse destroyed by the Russian missile strike – Photo: Nina Liashonok /
According to Ukraine’s report, they clashed with the Russians on the front line 124 times in a single day. A statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces revealed that on May 1, Russia launched a total of five missiles, 63 airstrikes and 72 attacks with missile systems against the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. The focus of the Russian battlefield may now shift north of Avgyijivka, towards Chasiv Yar. The capture of Chasiv Yar would be of strategic importance to the Russians, the Institute for the Study of War said.
