Ukraine Reports Over 13,000 Cases of Russian Chemical Agent Use Since 2022

Russian forces have systematically deployed prohibited chemical substances against the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with more than 13,000 documented cases recorded since the outset of the full-scale invasion.

Lt. Col. Maksym Kravchuk, Public Affairs Officer of the Command of the Support Forces, outlined the intensifying pattern of use, noting that in February 2026 alone, Ukrainian Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense units registered nearly 400 such incidents.

According to him, Russian troops are employing specialized munitions in conjunction with conventional firepower, specifically K-51 and RG-VO gas grenades. These devices are filled with CS (chlorobenzalmalononitrile) and CN (chloroacetophenone), chemical agents typically designated for domestic riot control purposes.

“In a number of states, CS and CN substances are officially used by law enforcement agencies exclusively in peacetime for law enforcement purposes, particularly riot control, subject to strict compliance with established norms and restrictions,” Kravchuk explained.

WhileAlthough these agents are not categorized as lethal chemical weapons, their deployment in an armed conflict constitutes a clear breach of international law.

“According to paragraph 5 of Article 1 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, the use of such substances as a means of warfare is prohibited,” Kravchuk noted.

Exposure to these substances causes acute irritation of the respiratory tract and the mucous membranes of the eyes. Affected soldiers suffer intense tearing, persistent coughing, sensations of suffocation, and severe disorientation, resulting in a temporary loss of combat capability.

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War in Ukraine

Russia's Chemical Warfare in Ukraine and Beyond

Dec 19, 2024 17:48

Kravchuk further added that, in several reported cases, the symptoms described by servicemen point to the possible use of “mixtures of unidentified composition” or other chemical irritants.

Earlier, it was reported that a Russian state-affiliated institute involved in the manufacture of chemical weapons continues to acquire essential components for prohibited munitions, successfully bypassing extensive international sanctions.

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