"The information is not sufficiently substantiated": the OPCW commented on statements about the use of poisonous substances by the Russians
Kyiv • UNN
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says that Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of using chemical weapons, but the information provided by the countries to the OPCW is not sufficiently substantiated.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of using chemical weapons, but the information about the use of toxic substances on the battlefield is not well-founded. This is stated in a statement by a spokesperson for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), UNN reports.
Details
The agency emphasizes that it has been monitoring the situation on the territory of Ukraine since the beginning of the war in February 2022 in connection with allegations of the use of pesticides as weapons.
Both the Russian Federation and Ukraine have accused each other and reported to the Organization of using chemical weapons. (...) The information provided to the Organization so far by both sides, as well as the information available to the Secretariat, is not sufficiently substantiated
It is noted that the destruction of all declared stockpiles of chemical weapons in the world was achieved in July 2023. At the same time, in the OPCW recognized that this does not mean that chemical weapons no longer exist.
The Organization recalls that in May, the United States imposed new sanctions against Russia for the use of chemical weapons against Ukraine, including for its use of chlorine gas. For its part, the Kremlin denies the use of such weapons.
It is to be recalled that in order to take any action related to allegations of the use of toxic chemicals as weapons, the OPCW Secretariat would need to formally receive a request for action from States Parties. To date, the Secretariat has not received any such request for action
They emphasize that they continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and provide support to Kyiv, upon request , in the field of assistance and protection against chemical weapons.
For reference
Chloropicrin, which is banned by the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), is a liquid whose vapors irritate the skin and mucous membranes and, in high concentrations, cause uncontrollable convulsions of the diaphragm muscles. It was first used by German troops during the First World War.
Recall
The United States accused Russia of using the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and imposed new sanctions on Russian organizations involved in chemical and biological weapons programs.
