Russian claims of using white phosphorus by Ukrainians debunked

"The law enforcement agencies of our country, together with the Russian Defence Ministry, have received irrefutable evidence of the repeated use of white phosphorus ammunition dropped from drones by the armed forces of Ukraine in September", stated Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during the news briefing, as reported by Reuters. However, Zakharova did not provide further details nor elaborated on the specifics of the phosphorus usage.

Russian News Agency TASS further quoted Zakharova, who said that "this evidence indicates that Ukraine possesses chemical weapons that do not comply with international norms and that it has the capacity to synthesize highly toxic substances containing white phosphorus".

Moreover, according to the TASS's report, Zakharova claimed that explosives with white phosphorous are weapons of "indiscriminate lethality". The spokeswoman also argued that Protocol III of the Geneva Convention outlaws using phosphorous around inhabited lands. She also further promised that breaking this law would result in taking legal action against the perpetrators.

On the other hand, Ukraine declared Zakharova's statement as false. "The Russian accusations are false and nonsensical", declared Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi in a written statement, Reuters claim. "Ukraine has always been and continues to be a reliable participant in multilateral regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and it faithfully complies with the international obligations stemming from their provisions", Tykhyi further emphasized. He also added that "we are confident that by making such false accusations, Moscow seeks to shift blame for its own actions and deceive foreign audiences".

Indeed, Ukraine has previously accused Russia of using phosphorous. According to the BBC, Ukrainians asserted that the Russian side used this chemical in the city of Bakhmuth in May 2023. The same claim emerged just a few months later, in October 2023, when Andryi Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration, shared on Telegram after the Russian attack on Avdyivka that "the Russians threw a lot of manpower in this direction. They use phosphorus, along with their cannon fodder". However, one of the first reports of Russians using the chemical substance arose in 2022, with the attack on Mariupol, reports Express.co.uk.

According to WHO, white phosphorus is a chemical substance that "ignites instantly upon contact with oxygen" and is "very difficult to extinguish. It sticks to surfaces like skin and clothing". The substance is very toxic for humans because the smoke from burning phosphorous harms the eyes and respiratory system. When it comes into contact with skin, however, white phosphorous causes "deep and sever burns".

The use of white phosphorus on the battlefield violates Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons when "it is used, on purpose, as an incendiary weapon directly against humans in a civilian setting". Yet, when used e.g. as a source of illumination on the battlefield, white phosphorous is not prohibited.

Sources: Reuters, TASS, BBC, RFERL, WHO