Russia is using chemical weapons in the hottest areas of the front: sanctions against the terrorist state are a necessary step in response to its crimes.
Russians have once again used phosgene — a highly effective chemical substance in the directions of Svatove and Bakhmut. Previously, phosgene was used by the Russian army in September 2022, as well as in March, May, and August of this year. The decision to use chemical weapons on the front line is made at the highest level in the Russian Federation, so this precedent represents a conscious policy of the Kremlin.
The use of phosgene for military purposes is prohibited in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention — this chemical substance causes severe poisoning, affecting the oral cavity, respiratory tract, and even the surface of the skin. In particularly severe cases, death can occur within minutes after inhaling a critical amount of phosgene. Moreover, the use of this chemical weapon leads to mass contamination of the personal belongings of soldiers, food, drinking water. Phosgene poisons groundwater and contaminates the soil — in France, large areas of land are still unsuitable for agriculture since chemical weapons were used there during World War I. In other words, Russia is intentionally committing ecocide in Ukraine: fertile lands are being poisoned and polluted.
Russia commits new war crimes in Ukraine every day, violating all existing conventions regulating the rules of warfare. The terrorist state is destroying entire cities, targeting Ukrainians based on nationality, using chemical weapons that affect Ukrainian Armed Forces and lead to environmental pollution. Therefore, additional restrictions must be applied against the Kremlin: complete international isolation should be reinforced with sanctions against the military-industrial complex of the aggressor.