Military experts find use of phosphorus shells in Karabakh unproved

The use of banned phosphorus weapons threatens with condemnation by the international community; the parties to the Karabakh conflict will not dare doing it, experts have stated after mutual accusations from Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. They treat the published evidence of using phosphorus shells as inconclusive.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 30, authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh accused Azerbaijani militaries of using phosphorus ammunition to set fire to the forests, where civilians are hiding from shelling. Armenia itself uses shells with white phosphorus, but is trying to reload the responsibility for this onto the enemy, Baku has stated.

Vasily Dandykin, a military expert, has found the video posted by Mr Tatoyan unconvincing. "What is depicted there can be anything, even smoke bombs," he said.

The use of phosphorus ammunition is prohibited in any form by the protocol to the Geneva Convention adopted in 1977, said Alexander Perendjiev, a political analyst. According to his version, they completely burn out the air, and people die from lack of oxygen. When getting onto human skin, phosphorus burns it done to bones.

The use of any weapon that causes fires and smokescreens is unprofitable for Azerbaijan, Azad Isazade, a former employee of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defence, believes. However, in his opinion, the use of phosphorus weapons is beneficial for Armenian militaries.