US accuses Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine

Following a fresh set of sanctions against the nation, the State Department accused Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukraine on Thursday.

Russia used the chemical weapons chloropicrin against Russian forces in violation of the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act, according to the office. In World War I, the lung-damaging substance was used as a poison oil.

Following the initial accusation of using the fuel in more than 800 assaults over the course of the war by the Russian military leadership in February, the new sanctions are issued. Moscow at the time denied the claims, arguing that Russian forces were responsible for the use of banned chemical weapons.

Some of the restrictions issued by the State and Treasury Departments on Wednesday are directed at Russia’s chemical and biological weapons applications. According to the State Department, the sanctions also affect more than 280 people who support the war effort and about 80 different businesses that are involved in the Russian defense sector.

Among those targeted is Alexei Navalny, the head of the Russian opposition, who passed away in prison earlier this year under suspicious circumstances. Vladimir Putin, the administration’s representative, is to blame for the death, according to the Biden administration.

Foreign businesses are also being targeted by the punishment because they are suspected of supporting Russian military operations.

The State Department wrote in a statement that” the action from yesterday specifically reflects the concern of the United States and our international partners with entities based in the People’s Republic of China ( PRC ) that both produce and provide crucial inputs to Russia’s military-industrial base.

Wednesday’s restrictions individually ban the import of Russian uranium for use in nuclear power output.

The sanctions, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, “further undermine and destroy Russia’s battle efforts by targeting its military industrial base and the supply chain evasion networks.”