(Bloomberg) -- The UK sanctioned Russian forces that it said were involved in using chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense troops and their commander, Igor Kirillov, were sanctioned over the “widespread use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement Tuesday. Two Russian Defense Ministry scientific centers were also added to the sanctions list.
The UK’s action follows a similar determination made by the US State Department in May that Russia used chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops. Washington imposed sanctions against companies and individuals it said had aided Russia’s chemical and biological weapons programs.
The UK accused Kirillov of “spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour.” Kirillov has accused Ukrainian forces at news conferences of using chemical weapons against Russian troops.
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