Ukraine repeatedly dropped white phosphorus from drones, alleges Russia's foreign ministry; Kyiv refuses claim

Russia on Wednesday, December 18, alleged that Ukraine has repeatedly dropped white phosphorus ammunition from drones in the month of September, yet Kyiv refused the charges, reported the news agency Reuters.

Ukraine also alleged in exchange that it was Moscow, which earlier used prohibited chemical substances on the battlefield, according to the agency report. 

Law enforcement agencies have evidence of the use of Ukraine using such ammunition, according to Russian Foreign spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The spokeswoman did not provide any details for the evidence.

“The law enforcement agencies of our country, together with the Russian Defence Ministry, have received irrefutable evidence of the repeated use of white phosphorus ammunition dropped from drones by the armed forces of Ukraine in September,” said Zakharova, quoted the news agency.

Ukraine, which accused Russia of using phosphorous in the war, said that Zarkharova's statement was false and accused Russia of using prohibited chemical substances on the battlefield. 

“The Russian accusations are false and nonsensical,” foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told the news agency in a written statement.

“Ukraine has always been and continues to be a reliable participant in multilateral regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and it faithfully complies with the international obligations stemming from their provisions,” they said, reported the news agency.

In the context of using weapons, on December 11, a US official warned about the usage of a new lethal experimental Oreshnik missile against Ukraine, citing a United States intelligence assessment, reported the news agency AP. 

The news report also highlighted that the missile is seen by U.S. officials more as an attempt at intimidation than a game-changer on the battlefield in Ukraine. 

Russia first used the weapon on November 21 in a missile attack against Dnipro, a city in Ukraine. According to the Pentagon, the Oreshnik is an intermediate-range missile that can fly between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Such weapons were banned under a Soviet-era treaty that Washington and Moscow abandoned in 2019, according to the agency report.