(NewsInsights.org) – Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations of chemical weapons use. Tass published the most recent chapter in the back-and-forth on Monday, March 25. Vladimir Tarabrin, a Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Russian Ambassador to the Hague, alleged that Ukraine had used chemical weapons on the battlefield with assistance from US operatives.
Tarabrin claimed that Russian special military operations groups observed US-based private military contractors delivering hazardous chemical containers to Ukrainian military operations as early as December 2021. Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. Tarabrin reported that four Ukrainian service members suffered burns and the effects of poisoning after exposure while unloading 200-liter (50-gallon) drums of chemicals.
Tarabrin mentioned that he had registered complaints with the OPCW and warned that Russia kept detailed records of every instance. The ambassador pleaded for greater transparency from the US regarding its shipments of chemical substances to Ukraine. He alleged such shipments violated the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
However, Tarabrin’s Tass interview occurred after OPCW colleagues called out Russia for using riot control agents as weapons of war and admitting to it on state television. The American Embassy at The Hague provided two posts on X, formerly Twitter, detailing how Russian troops have used tear gas as a chemical weapon in battlefield situations.
🧵1/2 The Russian military is once again bragging about using riot control agents as a means of warfare against Ukraine in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. pic.twitter.com/Zt7LhoV2XC
— U.S. Embassy The Hague (@usembthehague) March 6, 2024
2/2 A reminder of the first time Russian propagandists exposed their own military’s CWC violations:
https://t.co/xzEeOX7F9T— U.S. Embassy The Hague (@usembthehague) March 6, 2024
Lennie Phillips, a former OPCW weapons inspector who now works for the UK think tank RUSI, said that based on the footage from Russian state television, some of Ukraine’s claims that Russia has used prohibited chemical weapons appear credible. In December, Forbes reported that Russia’s use of tear gas elicited violent responses from Ukrainians, in part because they also burn extremely hot in addition to possessing irritant qualities. Dan Kaszeta, a chemical weapons expert working with RUSI, told the outlet he believed Russia “wants to provoke war crimes.”
Both Russia and Ukraine belong to the CWC as members and deny allegations that they are using chemical weapons. CWC and OPCW investigations are ongoing.
Copyright 2024, NewsInsights.org
