LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Russian troops involved in the abhorrent use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine have been targeted by new UK sanctions.
The UK Foreign Ofice said among those sanctioned Tuesday are the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and its leader Igor Kirillov, responsible for helping deploy these barbaric weapons. Kirillov has also been a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation.
Two Russian Ministry of Defence laboratories also were subjected to sanctions for providing support for the development and deployment of chemical weapons for use on the frontlines.
Russian forces have openly admitted to using hazardous chemical weapons on the battlefield, with widespread use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin - first deployed on the battlefields of WW1.
This is a serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russian agents had deployed the deadly nerve agent Novichok on the streets of Salisbury in 2018, and against opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK will not sit idly while Russian President Vladimir Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention.
'Russia's cruel and inhumane tactics on the battlefield are abhorrent and I will use the full arsenal of powers at my disposal to combat Russia's malign activity,' he added.
'Our message to Putin and his regime is clear: you cannot break international law without facing the consequences,' said UK Defence Secretary, John Healey.
Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2024 AFX News
