A senior Ukrainian police officer has accused the Russian forces of using phosphorous bomb attacks in the separatist-controlled Lugansk, news agency AFP reported. The startling revelations have heightened fears of chemical and biological weapons being used in the ongoing fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces for the 18th straight day.
According to international laws, the usage of white phosphorus shells are banned in the extremely populated civilian areas, but are allowed to be used in open spaces.Hours ago, the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg had warned that Russia might use false pretext to carry out chemical weapon attacks following its invasion.
“In recent days, we have heard absurd claims about chemical and biological weapons laboratories. Now that these false claims have been made, we must remain vigilant because it is possible that Russia itself could plan chemical weapons operations under this fabrication of lies. That would be a war crime,” he said.
The Ukrainian police official’s claims comes two days after US president Joe Biden had warned Moscow, saying it would pay a heavy price if it used chemical weapons in Ukraine. “I’m not going to speak about the intelligence, but Russia would play a severe price if they used chemicals,” the US president had said.
In fact, Russia has also accused Ukraine of running biological weapon laboratories with the US support, a charge denied by Washington and the United Nations.
