Incendiary weapons were used a number of times during theRusso-Ukrainian War.[citation needed] Russians were accused of usingwhite phosphorus bombs multiple times; in theBattle of Kyiv and againstKramatorsk in March 2022,[1]against dug-in defenders at theAzovstal steel plant in Mariupol in May 2022,[2][3][4][5] and inMarinka over the 2022 Christmas holiday.[6]White phosphorus is a toxic chemical, and exposure to vapors leads to long-term ailments of the body, up topermanent disfigurement and death throughorgan failure.
The use of incendiary weapons in civilian areas violates Article 2 of the 1980Protocol on Incendiary Weapons, which prohibits only the use of air-delivered incendiary bombs in the close vicinity of concentrations of civilians and deliberate attacks against civilians with incendiary weapons (deliberate attacks on civilians are prohibited regardless of the type of weapon used). The 1949Geneva Conventions do not regulate the use of incendiary weapons. Additionally,Protocol I.[7] prohibits the indiscriminate use of any weapons, not only incendiary. Both Russia and Ukraine are signatories of the 1980 Protocol on Incendiary Weapons, the former ratified it on June 10, 1982, while the latter did so on June 23, 1982.[8]
Independent experts interviewed by the media stated at the end of March 2022 that there was a lack of data to unequivocally establish the type ofincendiary weapons used,[9][1][10] and some suspected some incendiary effects were produced by the9M22Sthermite incendiary submunitions fired by theGrad MLRS, which were developed by the Soviets "to discover the minimum size fragment of incendiary mix" to annihilate the enemy: "all it takes is about 5 grams – [they] developed [the 9M22S] cluster warhead to distribute these [submunitions]... Each9N510 submunition consists of a hexagonal shell of magnesium alloy filled with a fire mixture whose main ingredients are gasoline, isopropyl nitrate and rubber... The magnesium burns briefly with a bright white light... and typically sticks to the target while burning. Attempting to scrape the mix off just spreads it, and it is not extinguished by water."[11] A Russian observer of the Battle of Azovstal,[12] who also blamed the 9M22S-9N510 due to its colour, lent credence to this interpretation.[13]
The use ofincendiary weapons in theRusso-Ukrainian War was first remarked inSloviansk in June 2014;[14] followed late July 2014 around eastern Ukraine,[15] then in August atIlovaisk,[14] and betweenOleksandrivka andChumaky in November,[16] going on to include battlegrounds of thewar in Donbas (2014–2022).
On 15 March 2022, when the incendiaries were used inBattle of MariupolSerhiy Haidai, theGovernor of Luhansk Oblast, called the Russian attackers war criminals,comparing their actions to those of the Nazis. Similar munitions were seen inPopasna two days earlier.[17] On March 25, 2022, in an address toNATO leaders,President of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky accused the Russian military of using phosphorus shells against civilians: "This morning, by the way, phosphorus bombs were used. Russian phosphorus bombs. Adults were killed again, children were killed again".[1] At the end of the month, the deputy head of the Kyiv police reported about the shelling of Kramatorsk with incendiary shells with phosphorus. And in the media there were photos showing characteristic flashes over Kyiv. Although at that time the use of phosphorus shells was not confirmed by independent organizations, experts admitted such a possibility. The active Ukrainian resistance and the poor progress of the offensive may have prompted the Russian authorities to use "dangerous weapons".[18][9][1][10] At the same time,Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that the armed forces of Ukraine used phosphorus ammunition in the defense of theHostomel airfield at the end of February.[19]
DeputyDefense Minister of UkraineAnna Malyar said in April 2022 that the government has begun checking on incoming information about the possible use of chemical weapons, particularly phosphorus bombs, during the blockade of Mariupol. The head of the administration of the Donetsk region and Ukrainian politicianPavlo Kirilenko confirmed that he had seen reports that an unknown explosive device was dropped by a drone in the vicinity of the Mariupol metallurgical plant, three people felt ill and were hospitalized. Russian-backed DPR forces have denied the use of banned weapons in Mariupol.[20]
In mid-May,Ombudsman for Human Rights in UkraineLyudmila Denisova[21] accused Russian forces of attacking the Mariupol metallurgical plant, Azovstal, with incendiary and phosphorus bombs. This was confirmed by a video with characteristic flashes over the territory of the plant, which was posted on social networks by the commander of the pro-Russian self-proclaimedDonetsk RepublicAlexander Khodakovsky,[12] clearly depicting the 9M22S thermite-containing incendiary submunitions. At that time, a number of civilians who had previously taken refuge at the plant were evacuated with the support of the International Committee of theRed Cross and theUN.[22]
Western experts disagreed on whether Azovstal was shelled with phosphorus ammunition orthermitemagnesium ammunition.[23] The Russian command did not comment on which weapon was used for the attack. The Russian media suggested that the Azovstal video showed Grad projectiles, and not phosphorus bombs.[13]
Defence View andForbes explain that the Russians probably used9M22S incendiary shells developed byNPO Splav during theSoviet era.[24][11] Instead of a high-explosive fragmentation warhead, the 9M22S rocket carries a warhead containing 180 separate9N510 incendiary elements.[25] Designed to ignite vegetation, storage facilities, or fuel, these incendiary elements consist of hexagonal prisms made from a magnesium alloy known to the RussianGOST asML-5,[26][27] filled with athermite mixture.[14][28] Each element has a nominal length of 40 mm and a width of 25 mm and a burning time of at least 2 minutes. It is also noted that the effect of these incendiary, as well as conventional lighting munitions (especially at night), outwardly resembles the use of phosphorus munitions.[24]
On 13 March 2023, footage of a hail of thermite munitions raining down on a residential area during theBattle of Vuhledar was released.[29][30]
From 5-7 May 2023, some videos that were filmed at night were shown on the networks where attacks with incendiary weapons by the Russians could be seen in theBattle of Bakhmut.[31][32]
Beginning in August-September 2024, Ukraine began the use of "dragon drones" that could spray molten thermite over Russian positions in forests to remove foliage and expose encampments and military equipment that could either ignite or be targeted by later attacks or precise bombings.[33][34]
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