On Thursday, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy accused Russia of deploying phosphorus bombs, which are limited but not fully prohibited by international treaties.
Zelenskyy told NATO leaders gathered in Brussels for an emergency conference on the war, “this morning we had phosphorus bombs from Russia… People were killed, children were killed.”
Usually, white phosphorus is used in warfare to designate enemy targets or to create a smokescreen for troop movements, but it may also start fires and maim or kill anybody who comes into contact with it.
According to reports, one of the topics being discussed at the Brussels summit is what moves Russia may take that would force NATO to become more actively involved in the fight. NATO nations have provided military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine so far, but have refused to commit troops or impose a no-fly zone.
The day before Zelenskyy made his accusation on Russia’s use of phosphorous bombs, President Biden issued a new warning about Russia employing chemical weapons.
Before leaving for Brussels to participate in the talks, Biden was asked about Russia’s use of chemical weapons. He replied “I think it’s a real threat.”
On Wednesday, the United States accused Russia of war crimes after Russia increased its bombing of civilian targets such as bomb shelters, schools, and hospitals. More than thousand people have been murdered, according to the UN, though the exact number is likely considerably higher.
So far, Pentagon had claimed on Wednesday that it couldn’t confirm the deployment of phosphorous bombs in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
