- Category
- Latest news
Russia May Be Coating Shahed Drones With Toxic Chemicals to Harm More Civilians
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia may be applying toxic chemical agents to its Shahed-136 (known in Russia as “Geran-2”) drones in a new effort to cause additional harm to civilians collecting debris after drone strikes, according to Ukrainian media InformNapalm report published April 16.
Citing multiple military sources, the report alleges that Russian forces are covering the suicide drones with chemical substances that remain on the wreckage after the drones are shot down, posing serious health risks to anyone who comes into contact with them.
“At this time, we don’t have additional evidence that this is happening on a mass scale,” InformNapalm noted.
The outlet emphasized that Russia has long maintained entire research institutes dedicated to developing chemical weapons. “Even Russian intelligence services operating abroad have favored using them in particularly twisted methods of assassinating Putin’s opponents.”
Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation confirmed that Russia is indeed using Shahed-type suicide drones equipped with chemical agents in its attacks.
According to Ukrainian authorities, a capsule containing a concentrated combat chemical known as CS gas—a highly toxic irritant—was discovered inside one of the drones. The verification comes from both Ukraine’s security services and the State Emergency Service.
“These enemy UAVs may disperse capsules containing chemical agents with the intent to injure or incapacitate people,” officials stated.
However, authorities clarified that earlier reports claiming the drone fuselages themselves were coated in toxic substances have not been confirmed.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russia was striking Ukrainian cities with a new, deadlier variant of the Shahed-136 drone—now carrying nearly twice the explosive payload but with a shorter range.
