Moscow accuses Kiev of white phosphorous use

Ukrainian troops have repeatedly used banned munitions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said

Russian law enforcement and the Defense Ministry have collected “irrefutable evidence” of repeated use of white phosphorus munitions by the Ukrainian military, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

The spokeswoman made the remarks during a regular media briefing on Wednesday, stating the use of white phosphorus incendiaries by Kiev’s troops had been repeatedly observed in September. The munitions were primarily deployed by drones, Zakharova said. She added that the uptick in white phosphorus use indicated Kiev was capable of producing the compound, and was using it in contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“The white phosphorus-filled incendiary munitions used by the Ukrainian Nazis are indiscriminate weapons and are prohibited by Protocol III of the Geneva Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons in populated areas and their environs,” she said.

Ukraine was quick to deny the accusations, with the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhy dismissing them as “false and nonsensical.” “Ukraine has always been and continues to be a reliable participant in multilateral regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,” the spokesman asserted in a statement.

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Moscow and Kiev have repeatedly accused each other of the use of white phosphorus, as well as other controversial munitions. The chemical is used in certain types of smoke and incendiary rounds and has long been the subject of controversy due to its properties.

White phosphorus ignites on its own in contact with air and produces thick white smoke, which is useful for obscuring troop movements. The chemical burns at extremely high temperatures and tends to stick to surfaces, including clothing and skin, while being very hard to extinguish.

The properties of the substance effectively mean ‘smoke’ rounds may double as incendiary munitions should they not be used with necessary precaution. White phosphorous and the smoke it produces are highly toxic and capable of entering the bloodstream.

The Pentagon has long contemplated supplying Ukraine with phosphorus munitions, NBC reported in September, but the White House shot down the idea. While the broadcaster did not elaborate, the proposed shipment would have likely involved the so-called ‘smoke’ or ‘marker’ M825 rounds – 155mm NATO artillery shells filled with felt wedges saturated with white phosphorus.