He Ministry of Defense of Ukraine denounced that Russia employs white phosphorus in his attacks on unoccupied areas of the town of Bakhmutone of the hottest points of the conflict for months.
The Defense portfolio published a video on its Twitter account belonging to a surveillance drone showing several burning buildings and clouds of white spotlights that light up the night sky. The images correspond to the downtown area of the city -precisely the west side- and the fire is centered on the near a children’s hospital.
“There is more than enough phosphorus. The Russians are shelling occupied areas of Bakhmut with incendiary ammunition. They will burn in hell.”They wrote from the Ministry and added that “the enemy continues to destroy the city and we continue to defend it.”
It has not been possible to determine, however, the date of this attack.
The use of white phosphorus in war is not prohibited, but its use in civilian population areas is considered a war crime due to the serious consequences it implies.
This product catches fire on contact with air and generates a fire that spreads quickly and easily. Also, reach temperatures up to 800 degrees almost immediately and is very hard to put down.
the NGO Human Rights Watch warned, in turn, that this chemical is “notorious for the seriousness of the injuries it causes” and pointed out, on the other hand, that it is extremely sticky, difficult to remove and can even turn on again when removing the bandages.
“White phosphorus burns are unpleasant because they are not from a traditional fire so if you add water they can get worse”said Brian Castner, an Amnesty International war crimes investigator specializing in bombs and bullets.
Russia had already been accused of resorting to this product in its attacks in the past, including from the beginning of the war, during the Mariupol Site, and later on the city of Kramatorsk.
Yes ok Moscow “has a variety of incendiary munitions that it could use”, according to Sam Cranny Evans, a military analyst at the London Royal United Services Institute, has never admitted to these allegations. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskovdefended at all times that his country “has never violated international conventions”.
Both Russia and Ukraine are part -since 1981- of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weaponsin which the prohibition of the use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas. However, white phosphorus is not banned in the document since it is allowed in open spaces with the purpose of hide military movements.
That is why Russia could protect itself from these denunciations since, due to the fierce clashes that have taken place in Bakhmut, the city has been almost deserted. However, military settlements do remain there.
Castner explained his concern about this exception to the Convention since -he assures- “Russia destroys everything, block by block, regardless of whether it is a civilian or military target.”
HRW specified that its use dates from at least the last 15 years, in which it “has been used repeatedly” in conflicts such as those of the security forces. USA against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
The denunciation of the Ministry of Defense occurred at a key moment of the war in which Ukraine enlists its counteroffensive and after, in the last hours, it was announced major enemy troop changes in Bakhmut.
The day before, the head of the wagner groupannounced that the next May 10 would leave the front of battle in the area due to the lack of ammunition by the Kremlin,
“On behalf of the Wagner fighters and their command, on May 10, 2023 we will be obliged to hand over the positions in the city of Bakhmut to the units of the Ministry of Defense and relocate the fighters to the rear to lick our wounds“, said Yevgeny Prigozhin in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
“With the lack of ammunition, (the officers) are condemned to a useless death”, he pointed at the chief of the General Staff, Valeri Guerásimov; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; and the commander in chief, Vladimir Putin.
Likewise, this Saturday, Prigozhin slipped the possibility that the positions be occupied by Chechen troops. “I am already contacting their representatives so that at 00,000 local time on May 10 – exactly at the moment when, according to our calculations, we will completely exhaust our combat potential – the comrades will take our place and continue the assault on Bakhmut” , thanked the country’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov after your offer.
Keep reading:
The leader of the paramilitaries at the service of Putin announced that he will leave the Bakhmut battlefront because they do not send him ammunition
Wagner Group is ready to hand over its positions in Bakhmut to Chechen troops
Ukraine shot down a Russian hypersonic missile with one of the American Patriot defense systems
Source-www.infobae.com