Russian Forces Used Chemical Weapons 323 Times in October, General Staff Reports

Russian forces deployed chemical weapons on the battlefield 323 times in October, Ukraine’s General Staff reported on November 8.

Russia’s use of chemical munitions “blatantly violates the rules of warfare and disregards obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention,” the General Staff said.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ukrainian radiation, chemical, and biological intelligence units have recorded 4,613 instances of hazardous chemical use on the battlefield. These cases include munitions like the K-51 and RG-VO, which are typically used for riot control but are banned as weapons of war, according to the report.

The Ukrainian military also reported detecting significant quantities of ammunition containing unspecified hazardous chemical compounds.

On October 8, the UK imposed sanctions on Russian units involved in the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the US State Department confirmed that Russian forces have used the chemical agent chloropicrin  in Ukraine. The announcement accompanied new US sanctions on over 280 individuals and entities.