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UKRAINE’S ARMY HAS accused Russia of carrying out strikes using incendiary phosphorus munitions on Snake Island today, just a day after Moscow withdrew its forces from the rocky outcrop in the Black Sea.
“Today at around 18:00… Russian air force SU-30 planes twice conducted strikes with phosphorus bombs on Zmiinyi island,” it said in a statement, using another name for Snake Island.
The Russian defence ministry yesterday described the retreat as “a gesture of goodwill” meant to demonstrate that Moscow will not interfere with UN efforts to organise protected grain exports from Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army today accused the Russians of being unable to “respect even their own declarations”.
Its statement was accompanied by a video that showed a plane drop munitions at least twice on the island, and what appeared to be white streaks rising above it.
Phosphorus weapons, which leave a signature white trail in the sky, are incendiary weapons whose use against civilians is banned under an international convention but allowed for military targets.
Ukraine has accused Russia of using them several times since it invaded its neighbour in late February, including on civilian areas, allegations Moscow has denied.
Ukraine claimed the Russians were forced to retreat from the island after coming under a barrage of artillery and missile fire.
Snake Island became famous after a radio exchange went viral at the start of the war, in which Ukrainian soldiers respond “go f*ck yourself” to a Russian warship that called on them to surrender.
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I’ve seen night vision footage and it does look like they’ve used it on Snake Island. The thing with phosphorus bombs is that it’s in this weird grey area. It’s not outright illegal in war and is generally used to burn bunkers and buildings, mostly military. It’ll be interesting what the US say as they have used it themselves in Iraq and Syria.
@Wooden Spoon: definitely is a grey area, especially when it is used in illumination munitions and smoke grenades and tracer rounds to name just a few, shame they don’t ban nuclear weapons
@Wooden Spoon: I remember when the Israelis were raining it down on Gaza, was it around 2014 i think?
@Wooden Spoon: I think the yanks will be keeping shtum on this one, phosphorus weapons are particularly vile. The yanks used them in fallujah, initially they denied they did so but when evidence was uncovered they owned up.
The consequences on the local population in the years since, have been a rate of child cancers in fallujah which is ten times the national average in Iraq.
@Wooden Spoon: Also, it’s not Phosphorus, they most likely dropped RBK-500 or RBK-250 cluster bombs, which contain 48 or 117 ZAB-2.5 thermite incendiaries. These burn for a few minutes, setting fire to fields and buildings.
Yes, you’re right that it’s a grey area, it is legal to attack military targets using incendiary weapons but it’s illegal to use them on civilian areas, the Island is military. Also, Russia is not a signatory to the convention on cluster munitions.
Also, the US claims their phosphorus smoke shells (e.g. M825 155mm shells) are not used to set fire to stuff but are only used for smoke generation, to hide friendly troops; that is how they get away firing phosphorus smoke shells on civilian areas.
That said, the smoke (phosphorus pentoxide) is highly toxic. The US military used phosphorus shells to smoke out Iraqi rebels in Fallujah Iraq in Nov 2004, and later ISIS in 2014-16. They’d saturate an area with phosphorus smoke and then bomb fighters out in the open after they exited their bunkers and foxholes for fresh air (Israel likely uses the same tactics). They called it “Shake and Bake”.
“We fired ‘shake and bake’ missions at the insurgents, using WP to flush them out and HE to take them out.”
Using the asphyxiant effects of phosphorus may contravene the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans using any chemical weapons to kill or injure the enemy (the CW Convention is very strict, even tear gas is banned in war (but not civilian riots)).
https://cat-uxo.com/explosive-hazards/aircraft-bombs/rbk-500-zab-25m-aircraft-cluster-bomb
https://cat-uxo.com/explosive-hazards/submunitions/zab-25m-submunition
Why is russia still attacking and terrorising Ukraine?
@Genera L Consensus: because it is a terrorist state ruled by a fascist dictator
So it’s ok for Israeli who have been doing it for years against Palestine and not a whimper from the so called west
@Christy Mc Carthy: I am sick of all this “What about” stuff.
Its what Russian trolls do.
Just saw it Russia are using their airforce to destroy remaining equipment they left on the island
@shligo boyzz: shouldn’t they leave it for the Taliban?
@v39e84kK: The Taliban are in the Ukraine? Bit off course I think…
@v39e84kK: that makes zero sense
Well, Ru invaded Ukr and drop bombs on their homes and civilian infrastructure which is not very nice i.m.h.o.
have your say