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The United States has officially accused Russia of using chemical weapons in Ukrai

On Thursday, the State Department claimed that Russia had breached the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act by deploying chloropicrin, a toxic agent previously used in World War I, against Ukrainian forces. 

The allegations surfaced after claims from Ukrainian military leaders in February, who reported over 800 incidents of the gas being used throughout the conflict. Despite these accusations, Moscow has consistently denied such claims and has alternatively alleged that it is Ukrainian forces who have employed prohibited chemical weaponry. 

In retaliation, the US has introduced sanctions against approximately 80 Russian defense industry companies and over 280 individuals implicated in supporting the ongoing war efforts. The new wave of sanctions specifically targets Russia’s defense industry along with chemical and biological weapons programs. 

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that these sanctions are designed to “further disrupt and degrade Russia’s war efforts by targeting its military-industrial base and the networks that support its supply chain.”

The sanctions also extend to individuals linked to the mysterious death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison under dubious conditions earlier this year. Despite the US intelligence community not believing Putin directly ordered the death of Navalny, the US still maintains that his death is ultimately due to President Putin. 

This comes days after the United States Senate passed a law banning the import of Russian uranium, which is critical for nuclear energy production.