Russia escalates with executions, chemical warfare in Ukraine
Russian forces have recently increased the number of systematic executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war and continue to use chemical weapons, ISW analysts report. They remind us that these actions by Russia blatantly violate the Geneva Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention.
On October 21, Ukrainian officials reported that a few days earlier—on October 18—Russian forces executed two unarmed Ukrainian prisoners of war near Selidovo in the Donetsk region.
Russian soldiers shot the Ukrainian prisoners at close range, who were bound.
According to ISW analysts, Russian forces have recently increased the number of systematic executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war. They point out that such actions clearly violate the provisions of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war, which prohibits inhumane treatment and executions of prisoners of war.
Russians use chemical weapons. They equip grenades with poison
In their analysis, the American think tank also writes that the Russian military uses chemical weapons in combat operations. They refer, among others, to a video published by a Russian military blogger. He openly states that Russian forces have used chloropicrin (a pesticide that damages the lungs) against Ukrainian soldiers.
Recall that back in May, the U.S. State Department published findings indicating that Russian forces have used chloropicrin and riot-control agents in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Russia is a signatory. Ukrainian officials have also previously reported that Russian forces are increasingly equipping grenades with chloropicrin.
