Commander: Russia continues to use chemical weapons in Ukraine

Russian forces continue using chemical weapons in Ukraine, violating international conventions, said Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander for the Tavria military sector.

According to Tarnavskyi, Russian troops fired two artillery barrages with munitions containing a chemical substance, presumably chloropicrin, on Aug. 6.

Exposure to chloropicrin's vapors causes severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and, if inhaled, to internal organs. This substance, widely applied during World War I, is no longer authorized for military use.

Tarnavskyi said the chemical weapons were used in the area of Novodanylivka but didn't specify the oblast. There are several settlements in Ukraine called Novodanylivka. Most likely, it was the one located near Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as it lies the closest to the front line.

No casualties were reported after the shelling, the Ukrainian commander said. "The Russians are trying to do everything to stop our advance. But they won't succeed."

This is not the first time Russia has used chemical weapons in its war against Ukraine.

Ukraine's Border Service said on May 26 that the Russian military had fired munitions with irritant aerosols and chemical grenades near Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

In December last year, Russian troops reportedly used Soviet-made K-51 tear gas grenades against Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the east.

The 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibits using chemical and biological weapons in war.

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