The United States accused the Russian army of using a ” chemical weapon, “chloropicrin, against Ukrainian forces in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The US State Department said, in a statement yesterday evening, Wednesday, that Russia also resorted to chemicals intended primarily for riot control (tear gas bombs) and used them against Ukrainian forces “as a method of war in Ukraine, which also constitutes a violation of the treaty.
The statement added, “The use of these chemicals is not an isolated incident and is most likely motivated by the desire of Russian forces to defeat Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical progress on the battlefield.
The governor of the Ukrainian Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said that a Russian ballistic missile targeted the Ukrainian port of Odesa late on Wednesday evening, wounding at least 13 people and igniting a large fire.
Five people, including a man and his daughter, were killed, and 20 others were injured yesterday, Wednesday, during several Russian strikes in eastern and northeastern Ukraine, according to what local authorities reported.
Pictures and videos posted on the Telegram application showed flames at the site of the attack and large clouds of smoke rising into the sky.
One of the media channels said that the warehouse of the “Nova Poshta” company, a large postal and courier services company, was bombed. It published a video clip showing debris flying inside the facility.
US sanctions on companies in Russia and China. In this context, the United States imposed sanctions aimed at reducing Russian military and industrial capabilities, targeting companies and individuals in Russia, China, and other countries against the backdrop of their assistance to Moscow in its war on Ukraine, according to what the Departments of State and Treasury reported yesterday, Wednesday.
In addition to Russian companies, the sanctions target about 60 foreign individuals and companies, particularly Chinese, on charges of “helping Russia acquire basic components for the weapons industry or defense programs,” according to an official statement.
The statement quoted US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen saying, “The sanctions aimed to cause further disruption and weaken the Russian war effort by exposing its basic military industry and the circumvention networks (of the current sanctions) that help it supply.
Of the foreign companies targeted, 16 are from China or Hong Kong, most of which are accused of helping Russia supply banned components.
In addition, two of them were accused of purchasing materials needed to produce military munitions. About 100 Russian companies, out of more than 200 targeted, operate mainly in the defense, transportation, and technology sectors. Several companies are involved in Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs.
The sanctions also aim to restrict the possibility of developing gas and oil infrastructure in Russia, which would allow it to export fuel more easily, especially to China. Exports are currently carried out by oil or gas tankers due to the need for more pipelines to the east.
Reducing Russian military supplies The G7 countries, the European Union, and many friendly countries, such as Australia and South Korea, have doubled sanctions against Russia since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.
These sanctions aim to reduce Russia’s financing capabilities for the war effort and its ability to supply the necessary components and materials for its equipment. It also led to the freezing of the assets of many of the most prominent Russian leaders and business people close to the Kremlin and Russian government institutions, especially the Central Bank.
The latest sanctions specifically targeted the Russian mining sector, especially aluminum, copper, and nickel, the export of which to the United States and the United Kingdom is now prohibited.
