Ukraine: "Russia used white phosphorus munitions in Bakhmut"…Cited as inhumane weapons

Russia, continuing its invasion war against Ukraine, has once again been accused of using white phosphorus munitions, an inhumane chemical weapon of mass destruction.

Last month, smoke was rising from a destroyed building in Bakhmut, Donetsk Province, eastern Ukraine. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th (local time), the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posted a video on Twitter showing a city engulfed in flames, claiming that Russia used white phosphorus munitions in the non-occupied areas of Bakhmut.

British broadcaster BBC analyzed the video and reported that although the exact time of filming is unclear, it appears to have been taken near a children's hospital in the western part of Bakhmut city center. They further explained that while the attack is analyzed to have involved incendiary munitions, it is difficult to specifically confirm the use of white phosphorus.

White phosphorus munitions are chemical weapons that widely scatter highly flammable white phosphorus fragments around the target area. When used for lethal purposes, the raw material itself is highly toxic, and the fragments cause severe pain as the flames are difficult to extinguish once they come into contact with the human body and continue to burn. Inhaling the smoke alone can be fatal.

The use of incendiary munitions in civilian residential areas or densely populated civilian facilities is prohibited under international law. This prohibition is included in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1980 United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), which have been ratified by almost all major countries including Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and China. However, there are arguments that white phosphorus munitions, although a type of incendiary weapon, fall outside these norms because their primary purpose is to create smoke screens.

Since the early stages of the conflict last year, Ukraine has continuously accused Russia of using white phosphorus munitions against civilian facilities. On the other hand, Russia denies these allegations, stating that it has never violated international agreements.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.