By Anthony Deutsch

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) – The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleskiy expressed concerns that Russia might use chemical weapons during the conflict. There has also been an unconfirmed report that they were used in the southern port of Mariupol.

Chemical weapons use, production and stockpiling are all prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention 1997 (CWC). The international arms control treaty has not been ratified or signed by Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan. Israel signed, but has not yet ratified the international arms control treaty.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is in The Hague. This organisation can check if toxic chemicals were used to make weapons or identify the perpetrators of the attack in Syria.

The treaty bans the use of dangerous “scheduled” toxic toxins or their precursors. It includes VX, VX, and Novichok nerve agents, which were developed in the Soviet era. Also, the blistering agent sulfur mustard and poison ricin are prohibited.

The OPCW defines a chemical weapons as any chemical “that through its chemical activity on life processes can cause mortality, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm” due to its toxic properties. If used in conflict, a non-controlled chemical such as chlorine could be considered a chemical weapons.

Although it has been condemned in human rights groups white phosphorous does not have to be banned by CWC. Cluster munitions are also covered by an international treaty.

PAST USE

During World War One, around 90,000 died from chemical weapon exposure.

In a massive chemical attack against Halabja, hundreds of Kurdish civilians were murdered, including many children and women, during the Iran-Iraq conflict in March 1988.

One Japanese doomsday sect released sarin to the Tokyo subway in 1995. This caused 13 deaths and thousands of illnesses.

After decades of infrequent use, chlorine barrel bombs and sarin were used in systematic fashion in Syria’s civil War. This resulted in thousands being killed or injured. The OPCW has been investigating around 150 of these cases, and twenty uses are confirmed.

The ten-year-long conflict between Syrian troops and Islamic State fighters was fought with Russian support.

Russia and Syria both deny the use of chemical weapons, but instead blame rebel groups or political opponents. Or say that attacks were staged in order to falsely accuse them.

In August 2013, the largest attack on Syria occurred in Ghouta (a suburb of Damascus), when many were killed by a Sarin Gas strike that was widely blamed for the deaths of Syrian government forces.

The OPCW has attributed Russia to two nerve agent Novichok attacks against Russia. One was directed at Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer, and his daughter, both in Britain, March 2018. Another attack on Alexei Navalny in Siberia, August 2020, was directed towards President Vladimir Putin.

Following the discovery that its civil war forces had used poison gas repeatedly, member OPCW countries stripped Syria of its voting rights in April 2021. Inspectors found that Damascus had failed to declare many banned substances.

UKRAINE

Kyiv stated Tuesday that it is reviewing reports that Russian forces used chemical weapons inside the city besieged Mariupol.

As the United States, Ukraine has expressed concerns that Russian forces might use banned chemicals. Both countries have not provided any evidence that would support these fears.

Russian officials have officially declared the destruction of tons of chemical arms that had been submitted to the OPCW. Moscow is still at odds with Western governments, which have repeatedly blamed it for the Skripal- and Navalny-related chemical weapons incidents.

45 OPCW Members called Russia in October to explain its alleged role in Navalny’s poisoning. Moscow denies any involvement.

Novichok, a Soviet Union-developed chemical, was included in the OPCW’s schedule of chemicals. The substance has been prohibited since July 2020.

Russia and Ukraine both belong to the OPCW. This group is where countries split over political issues related to the Syrian conflict. Moscow sought to reduce the organization’s ability to locate perpetrators in chemical weapons attacks at The Hague as well as at The United Nations.

In an effort to supply Ukraine with equipment and supplies in the event of Russia using chemical weapons, $250,000 has been donated by the United States to the OPCW.