Comment on Ukraine Sends Evidence of 10,000 Russian Chemical Attacks to The Hague
Skua@kbin.earth 3 weeks agoChloropicrin isn't tear gas, it's a pesticide that's poisonous to humans. It was used in WW1 because it can circumvent and damage gas masks, and it absolutely can kill
Russia is a signatory to both the 1925 Protocol and the 1993 Convention against using chemical weapons (the latter of which even specifically names chloropicrin), so usage of these - even the ones police use - is a war crime
Also, really, is "American police use them" a defence?
LeeeroooyJeeenkiiins@hexbear.net 3 weeks ago
if Russia is going to use illegal chemical weapons why the fuck would they use this instead of literally any of a number of more effective chemical weapons
Skua@kbin.earth 3 weeks ago
Probably specifically because they have non-war uses (even if the police ones shouldn't be used like that, they currently are). The convention classifies chemical weapons differently depending on their civilian uses, so you can stockpile a lot of pesticide without attracting attention much more easily than you can stockpile a lot of novichok
Aria@lemmygrad.ml 3 weeks ago
Are there more effective chemical weapons for this task at a similar price? Include transport risks in your assessment.