In Kursk region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces dropped a chemical bomb on Wagnerites
Photo generated by AI
On August 10, information appeared online about the use of chemical weapons against the Akhmat unit, which includes veterans of the Wagner PMC. It is reported that after two days of intense fighting and inflicting significant damage on the enemy, the unit was attacked first with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and then with 155 shells, presumably containing hexachloroethane or another toxic substance. News.ru writes about this.
As a result of the attack, several fighters were injured, they experienced severe vomiting and convulsions. Despite this, there were no casualties, and the unit continues to carry out its combat missions. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on this situation.
Hexachloroethane is an organochlorine compound used in industry. In the military, it was tried in combination with zinc oxide and aluminum powder as a filler for smoke grenades. However, this idea was abandoned due to the identified toxicity of the substance. Nevertheless, in 2020, toxic hexachloroethane was used by the US police to disperse Black Lives Matter protests.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hexachloroethane depresses the central nervous system, but is not highly toxic when inhaled. Its toxicity increases significantly with skin exposure at concentrations above 0.0001%. Despite its toxicity, hexachloroethane is not included in the official lists of chemical weapons. This makes filing a complaint with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) unlikely, especially given the OPCW's alleged bias against Russia and its allies.
The situation remains tense, and the parties' next steps are still unknown. Wagner PMC veterans, known as «musicians», say they will not give up and will continue to carry out their tasks.