/ground-report/media/post_banners/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/What-is-phosphorus-bomb-Russia-accused-of-using-it-in-Ukraine.jpg)
Ground Report | New Delhi: What is phosphorus bomb; A Ukrainian police officer has accused Russia of carrying out phosphorus bombings in the eastern region of Luhansk. According to the AFP news agency, the use of white phosphorus bombs in densely populated areas is prohibited under international law.
However, they can be used in the open to cover the army. In the Popasna area, about 100 kilometers west of the city of Luhansk, police chief Oleksiy Beloshtsky said Sunday evening that Russian forces had used chemical weapons in the area.
"The bombing of a civilian city by Russian bombers with these weapons is a war crime and a crime against humanity in accordance with the Rome Convention," it said in an online statement. It follows allegations made by Ukrainian law enforcement officials, who posted pictures and videos on social media claiming to contain white phosphorus.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, once ignited, the match burns at temperatures above 800 degrees Celsius, while the fires it causes can spread over vast areas, up to several hundred square kilometers. Such weapons can cause serious and extreme injury or lead to a slow and excruciatingly painful death.
What is phosphorus bomb
White phosphorus is an allotrope - a chemical element with different molecular structures - of phosphorus that is used in the chemical industry and as an incendiary agent. With it, white phosphorus bombs are made, known in military jargon as WP -White Phosphorus-. In Vietnam, they were popularly called Willy Peter.
The product is an off-white or yellow waxy solid with a garlic odour. It burns easily on contact with oxygen and forms a dense white smokescreen that conceals troop movements. The use of these bombs is internationally accepted for this purpose, but not to drop them on the civilian population.
You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp and Subscribe to our YouTube channel. For suggestions and writeups mail us at [email protected]
ALSO READ:
