The United States and United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Russia for its use of the chemical weapon chloropicrin against troops in Ukraine. This action was taken following an assessment by the US State Department in May, which concluded that Russia had violated the international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) by using chloropicrin, a riot control agent dating back to World War I.
The State Department stated that Russia's use of riot control agents in Ukraine was a deliberate tactic to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and gain tactical advantages on the battlefield. Chloropicrin, known for its irritant effects on the eyes, skin, throat, and lungs, was originally developed as tear gas but was banned under the CWC in 1993.
In response to these findings, the UK sanctioned Igor Kirillov, who was identified as being involved in deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine. The UK's Foreign Office highlighted that Russian forces had openly acknowledged using hazardous chemical weapons, including riot control agents and chloropicrin, a toxic choking agent with origins in World War I.
The use of chloropicrin by Russia has raised concerns about compliance with international agreements and the ethical implications of employing such weapons in modern conflicts. The sanctions imposed by the US and UK underscore the seriousness of these violations and the need to uphold the prohibitions set forth by the CWC.
