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- White phosphorus weapons are used around the world, but using them against civilians is illegal.
- "[I]t's gonna be like a recitation of what happened in World War II in some cases," Johnson said.
- Using phosphorus weapons may signal an escalation in attacks on Ukraine, Johnson said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday accused Russia of using white phosphorus bombs during its attacks on civilians this week, prompting international concern about the use of the incendiary weapons.
David Johnson, principal researcher at RAND Corporation and a 24-year veteran of the Army, spoke with Insider about what white phosphorus bombs and other chemical weapons mean for the trajectory of the invasion of Ukraine.
"It is illegal, as with any weapon system, to use against civilians, or to use it indiscriminately in areas that you think are populated. But the United States and almost every other country in the world has white phosphorus projectiles in their arsenals. They're used principally for creating smoke clouds because they do a very effective job at creating quick smoke," Johnson said.
The toxic, wax-like chemical substance in phosphorus munitions ignites upon contact with oxygen and causes severe burns if it touches the skin. Such weapons have been used by US forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria and are routinely used in military operations, Johnson said, despite being frequently misconstrued as illegal weapons.
The difference in Russia possibly using them against Ukraine, he explained, is that it may be a precursor to further escalation in the war.
"So it's not the fact that they have them as how they employ them that's really problematic. And I see that happening and quite frankly, in Ukraine, I think it's going to get worse." Johnson said. "What we ought to be paying attention to is how they're using them. And the record of the Russians is horrific."
Johnson explained Russia's recent use of white phosphorus against civilian targets in Aleppo and sarin gas attacks in Syria, as well as the country's historical conflicts in Chechnya and Grazni, which he said utilized "brutal" tactics to "flatten the resistance."
"This morning, by the way, there were phosphorus bombs. Phosphorus Russian bombs. Adults were killed again and children were killed again," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a virtual address to NATO leaders on Thursday, The Washington Post reported.
When reporters asked about the use of phosphorus weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Russia "has never violated international conventions," The Washington Post reported
"This is what they do," Johnson said. "They've been doing it for 100 years. And I don't know why we'd expect them to do anything different if they're not achieving their objectives. This is terrifying."
While chemical weapons tend to draw particular attention during wartime because of the gruesome injuries they cause, Johnson said, they don't generally carry the high fatality rates that artillery and shelling do because, with the right equipment, the most severe impacts can be avoided. However, Johnson said he expects an increase in Russian artillery attacks will cause more fatalities than phosphorus bombs or gas attacks could be expected to cause.
"I'm absolutely convinced that, when this is over, it's gonna be like a recitation of what happened in World War II in some cases. But what's happening routinely is enough to be worried about without looking for something that's really cool or different," Johnson said. "And I think anybody can help make people understand that this is part of the horror of war. These weapons were developed for military purpose. And, quite frankly, they're going to be used."
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