Russia denies breaching international law with phosphorus bombs

Russia on Friday said it had “never” violated international law, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using phosphorus bombs in his country.

“Russia has never violated international conventions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring any further questions to the defense ministry. He did not provide any details.

On Thursday, Zelenskyy accused Russia of having used phosphorus bombs against civilians in his pro-Western country.

Speaking to a G7 summit in Brussels via video link, he said that Kyiv had information that Russian troops “used phosphorus bombs against peaceful people in Ukraine.”

Kyiv first accused Russia of using phosphorus shells against civilians two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus shells in heavily populated civilian areas, although it allows them in open spaces to be used as cover for troops.