The UK government has said new sanctions have been imposed against Russian troops involved in the use of “inhumane” chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, in flagrant disregard for the Chemical Weapons Convention and serious violation of international law.

The UK government imposed the sanctions on Tuesday.

Among those sanctioned include the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence (CBR) Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and its leader Igor Kirillov, responsible for helping deploy the “barbaric weapons”.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Kirillov has also been a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour.

“The UK will not sit idly by whilst (Russian President) Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention. I have made it my personal mission to challenge this malign activity, and I will not back down,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

“Russia’s cruel and inhumane tactics on the battlefield are abhorrent and I will use the full arsenal of powers at my disposal to combat Russia’s malign activity. Let me be clear; Putin and those who carry out his will have nowhere left to hide. We will continue to use sanctions to directly target and counter the Kremlin’s attempts to sow fear, division and disorder,” he said.

The FCDO said Russian forces have openly admitted to using hazardous chemical weapons on the battlefield, with widespread use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin – first deployed on the battlefields of the First World War. The UK also accused agents of “Putin’s mafia state” of being responsible for deploying the deadly nerve agent Novichok on the streets of Salisbury in England in 2018, and against Opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020. 

“Our message to Putin and his regime is clear: you cannot break international law without facing the consequences. We will not allow such blatant violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention and rules-based international order to go unpunished,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey. “The UK is cracking down on those responsible for these horrific chemical attacks in Ukraine. Our support for Ukraine is ironclad and will continue for as long as it takes,” he said. Two Russian Ministry of Defence laboratories have also been sanctioned by the UK this week for providing support for the development and deployment of inhumane weapons for use on the frontlines.  The FCDO reiterated the UK’s commitment to deliver GBP 3 billion of military aid to Ukraine every year for “as long as they need”.

“The UK’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine is iron-clad. We cannot and will not let aggressors like Putin succeed,” it added.

The sanctions come as the UK delivered a statement to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) Executive Council laying out the country’s commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the OPCW in the face of those who act to undermine it. The latest set of Russian targets has been designated under the UK’s Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.