Russia has crossed a red line that the international community drew almost a century ago. This is denounced by Ukraine, who accuses the Kremlin of using chemical weapons in the Zaporiya front. Specifically, he points out that the Russian army is throwing from RG-VO grenades loaded with chloroacethophenone (CN), a toxic gas similar to tear, prohibited in armed conflicts since 1925.
The information has been published by half a lituano which cites data from the Institute of Criminalistics of kyiv and the Ukrainian Army itself. The attacks would be repeated increasingly in the Shcherbaky area, where grenades fall directly on Ukrainian defensive positions. The authorities have already confirmed fatalities.
The CN acts in seconds: it causes strong irritation in eyes, throat and respiratory tract, eye spasms, vomiting and difficulty breathing. In minimal concentrations it can cause death. According to experts, only 11 milligrams per cubic meter are enough for their effect to be lethal.
Its use violates the Geneva protocol and the Convention on Chemical Weapons, both signed by Russia. Although it is tolerated in riot operations, its use in wars is sharply prohibited. Already in January, the Ukrainian army detected the first indications of these grenades in the front. Since then, they denounce, its use has multiplied.
For kyiv, these grenades are the clearest example that Russia uses more and more prohibited tactics to compensate for their military setbacks. “Not only endangers soldiers, but also civilians and the environment,” warn the aforementioned experts. Ukraine ensures that the use of these chemical weapons is part of a systematic and planned campaign that ignores any international standard.
