July 15, 2022

Incendiary Weapons in Ukraine?


Incendiary Weapons in Ukraine?
An example of a white phosphorus bomb mid-explosion during WWII. Wikimedia Commons, USAAF

On July 1, several videos posted online captured Russian aircraft deploying white phosphorus bombs over Snake Island. This is not the first time Russian forces have been accused of using incendiary weapons during their war on Ukraine.

Incendiary weapons are infamous for their large dispersion patterns and for the gruesome injuries they inflict upon both soldiers and civilians. Incendiaries are flammable weapons that may be used for smoke screens, setting fires, and lighting up in the dark.

White phosphorus, the chemical allegedly used in Ukraine, is an example of an incendiary agent, and can be used to fill incendiary bombs. The thick and waxy substance ignites with oxygen and is capable of burning human flesh down to the bone, reaching a temperature of some 800 degrees Celsius. According to Brian Castner, Amnesty International war crimes investigator, water will actually make phosphorus burns worse, so there is often nothing an individual can do to immediately help themselves or others.

While Russia has been accused of repeatedly using incendiary weapons like white phosphorus since February, there has been no official confirmation. But the March 2022, video clearly shows white phosphorus being deployed in Kramatorsk, which President Zelensky said killed civilians, including children. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk, also said that white phosphorus was used during the siege of the Azovstal steel plant at Mariupol. Incendiary weapons are notoriously difficult to contain, and so the phosphorus can easily spill over from combat areas into civilian ones.

While the use of white phosphorus is not banned internationally, incendiary agents of its kind are prohibited from use in areas where civilians are present, according to the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons signed by Ukraine, Russia, and 111 other countries.

           

You Might Also Like

Suing for Peace, and Compensation
  • June 29, 2022

Suing for Peace, and Compensation

"The looting of Ukrainian goods for export – including grain and steel – has already led to rising prices and an increase in the number of people dying of hunger worldwide. This barbarism must be stopped, and Russia must pay in full. I believe in justice, and I will fight for it.” – Rinat Akhmetov, the Ukrainian businessman who is suing Russia
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955