Russian forces have used chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers, the US said on Wednesday. 

According to the State Department, Moscow’s troops used the “chemical weapon chloropicrin” on the front lines of the war in Ukraine. 

The colourless oily liquid was used extensively in the First World War, and causes severe irritation to lungs, eyes and skin. 

Its use in war time was banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. 

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” the State Department said in a statement. 

Moscow’s troops were also deploying tear gas in battle, the State Department said, in another violation of the chemical weapons convention. 

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