Ukraine has accused Russia of attacking the city of Bakhmut with phosphorus munitions.
In drone footage released by Ukraine’s military, Bakhmut can be seen ablaze as what appears to be white phosphorus rains down on the city. White phosphorus weapons are not technically banned, but their use in civilian areas is considered a war crime, as their fast-spreading fires are very difficult to extinguish. This is nothing new: Russia also used phosphorus bombs in Mariupol.
Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for months, sacrificing a significant number of troops in this endeavor.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned the chemical is „notorious for the severity of the injuries it causes”. It burns at 800 degrees Celsius and can cause extreme burns on human flesh. It is also extremely sticky and hard to remove, and can re-ignite when bandages are removed.
Russia is a signatory to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons,which bans the use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas – that is, those designed to catch fire, reports the BBC.
But HRW says white phosphorus does not fall under the treaty as its primary purpose is to „create a smokescreen to hide military operations”.
The attack comes a day after the commander of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group said he would pull his forces out of Bakhmut on 10 May in a dispute over ammunition supplies.
The intense fighting comes amid reports that Ukraine is preparing to launch a large-scale counteroffensive in the coming weeks – reportedly as soon as the 15th of May. An offensive could take place in the Zaporizhzhia region which is about 80% controlled by Russia, reports BBC.
