Russia has violated the international ban on the use of chemical weapons. The US State Department announced this on May 1, justifying the application of new sanctions against Russia. The US State Department claims that Russian troops used chlorpicrin, a toxic irritant, against Ukrainian soldiers.
"The use of such chemical agents is not a unique case and is likely due to the desire of Russian forces to push Ukrainian troops out of fortified positions and achieve tactical success on the battlefield," the State Department said in a statement. According to the department, the suffocating and tear gas chlorpicrin was also used in Russia within the framework of suppressing mass protests inside the country.
