The United States accused Russia of violating the global ban on chemical weapons by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.
Chloropicrin causes severe irritation to the eyes, skin and lungs, and was used in large quantities during World War I, according to the US’s National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.
In a statement on Wednesday, the State Department said: “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield.”
It comes as a Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday, injuring 14 people and triggering a large fire, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
It was the third missile attack on the city in as many days.
Pictures and a video posted online showed flames and billowing clouds of smoke engulfing buildings and firefighters training their hoses on areas still ablaze. Most of the loading area appeared to have been reduced to a shell.
Brittney Griner says she thought about killing herself during first few weeks in Russian jail
WNBA star Brittney Griner said she thought about killing herself during her first few weeks in a Russian jail after her 2022 arrest on drug-related charges.
Griner spoke for the first time about her monthslong detention in Russia during an hourlong interview that aired Wednesday night on ABC. Her memoir, “Coming Home,” is set to be released on May 7.
Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 09:13
Russia’s Gazprom to send 42.4 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Thursday
Russian energy producer Gazprom said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres (mcm) of natural gas to Europe via Ukraine on Thursday, in line with the volume sent on Wednesday.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 08:46
Drone footage shows devastation in Ukrainian city after relentless Russian shelling
Months of relentless Russian artillery pounding have devastated a strategic city in eastern Ukraine. New drone footage shows the remains of the community Chasiv Yar — set amid green fields and woodland – left in rubble. The massive destruction is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine yielded after months of Russian bombardment and huge losses for both sides. The strategically important city has been under relentless attack by Vladimir Putin’s forces for months. Capturing it would give Russia control of a hilltop from which it can attack other cities that form the backbone of Ukraine’s eastern defenses.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 08:26
Ukrainian drones target energy infrastructure in Russia’s Smolensk region, governor says
Ukrainian drones tried to attack energy infrastructure in Russia‘s Smolensk region, governor Vasily Anokhin said on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday.
He did not say what particular facilities had been targeted, but said emergency workers have been deployed. Many drone attacks in recent months have targeted oil refineries and depots.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 08:08
US hits China with sweeping sanctions over support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
The US has sanctioned nearly 300 companies and individuals from China, Russia, and several other countries for allegedly supporting Russia’s defence industry and helping it evade American sanctions over the war in Ukraine.
The US Department of the Treasury said on Wednesday that it had imposed sanctions on nearly 200 entities and the State Department on more than 80 to “degrade Russia’s ability to sustain its war machine” in Ukraine.
The sanctioned entities, located in Azerbaijan, Belgium, China, Russia, Turkey, the UAE and Slovakia, have allegedly enabled Russia to “acquire desperately needed technology and equipment from abroad”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 07:59
Russian ballistic missile strike hits Odesa
A Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday, injuring 14 people and triggering a large fire, regional governor Oleh Kiper said.
It was the third missile attack on the city in as many days.
Pictures and a video posted online showed flames and billowing clouds of smoke engulfing buildings and firefighters training their hoses on areas still ablaze. Most of the loading area appeared to have been reduced to a shell.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 07:57
US accuses Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainan troops
The United States accused Russia of violating the global ban on chemical weapons by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.
Chloropicrin causes severe irritation to the eyes, skin and lungs, and was used in large quantities during World War I, according to the US’s National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.
In a statement on Wednesday, the State Department said: “The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain2 May 2024 07:56
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
