New Zealand imposes new sanctions on Russia for alleged chemical weapons use

New Zealand has announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, citing violations of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

“The new restrictions are in response to recent findings by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that [the Russian Armed Forces] are illegally using tear gas in Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Peters also mentioned that New Zealand authorities had “received reports over the course of the year of Russian troops using chemical weapons” on the battlefield.

In addition to the sanctions against Russia, New Zealand is targeting Iranian individuals believed to be involved in “supplying ballistic missiles and drones to Russia.” The government’s statement confirmed that New Zealand would join international partners in sanctioning Russia's so-called “shadow fleet.”

The new sanctions package includes measures against one Russian official, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Armed Forces’ radiation, chemical, and biological defence troops, and six Iranians, including Ali Jafarabadi, head of the space command of the IRGC Air and Space Forces. Sanctions also target several Russian entities, such as the 27th Central Research Institute of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defence Troops, and the Russian military transport aviation command.

Russia has denied the allegations, criticizing the OPCW’s report. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated, “It is regrettable to note that once again the technical secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been involved in the fraudulent and highly questionable collection of physical evidence in violation of the fundamental principles of chain of custody.” The ministry emphasized Russia’s compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and its commitment to investigating chemical weapons use by Ukrainian forces.

By Tamilla Hasanova