Russia using more chemical weapons in Ukraine

Russia increases its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to the conclusions of the German Federal Intelligence (BND) and two Dutch intelligence agencies.

“The use of tear gas and chloropicrin by Russian troops has become a standard and is widespread,” the BND said on Friday with the Dutch military and security service (MIVD) and the Dutch Intelligence and Security General Service (AIVD), in a joint announcement on Friday.

Chloropicrin, which has characteristics similar to tear gas, is also known as Trichloronitromomethane. It is prohibited by the convention on chemical weapons (CWC).

Chloropicrine is a chemical war agent of the group of pulmonary agents. During the First World War, he was also called Green Cross because the shells filled with such agents were marked with a green cross at the time.

Serious chloropicrine violation

Chloropicrin can be fatal at high concentrations in closed spaces, agencies said. They pointed out that the use of chloropicrin constitutes a serious violation of the CWC, which prohibits the use of this pulmonary agent in all circumstances.

The CWC, described as the first multilateral agreement in the world to eliminate a whole category of weapons of mass destruction, was signed for the first time in Paris in 1993 after years of negotiations.

Russia and Ukraine signed the agreement, which entered into force in 1997, according to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).