London: The UK government has said new sanctions have been imposed against Russian troops involved in the use of “inhumane” chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, in flagrant disregard for the Chemical Weapons Convention and serious violation of international law.
The UK government imposed the sanctions on Tuesday. Among those sanctioned include the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence (CBR) Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and its leader Igor Kirillov, responsible for helping deploy the “barbaric weapons”.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Kirillov has also been a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour.
“The UK will not sit idly by whilst (Russian President) Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention. I have made it my personal mission to challenge this malign activity, and I will not back down,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“Russia’s cruel and inhumane tactics on the battlefield are abhorrent and I will use the full arsenal of powers at my disposal to combat Russia’s malign activity. Let me be clear; Putin and those who carry out his will have nowhere left to hide. We will continue to use sanctions to directly target and counter the Kremlin’s attempts to sow fear, division and disorder,” he said.agencies