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2mo ago

European Intelligence Confirms Widespread Russian Chemical Weapons Use in Ukraine

Public disclosure of widespread chloropicrin use is prompting calls for tougher sanctions, raising fears of accidental spillover near NATO borders.

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Servicemen of the 148th Separate Artillery Zhytomyr Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare to fire a M777 Howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in the front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov/File Photo
Ukrainian military engineer with the callsign Lynx inspects a freshly dug trench that his unit built as part of a system of new fortifications near the front lines outside Kupiansk, amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, December 28, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

Overview

  • Dutch and German intelligence agencies independently verified Russia’s intensified use of prohibited agents such as chloropicrin on the battlefield.
  • The report describes drone‐delivered choking gas being used to force Ukrainian soldiers out of trenches before they are targeted with conventional fire.
  • Investigators confirmed Ukraine’s records of more than 9,000 chemical attacks since 2022, with at least three fatalities and over 2,500 injuries linked to chemical exposure.
  • Russia denies the allegations and accuses Ukraine of similar violations, while the OPCW has not initiated a full investigation due to insufficient member‐state requests.
  • Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans and other Western officials are urging expanded sanctions and Russia’s exclusion from OPCW bodies amid rising concerns along NATO’s eastern frontier.