MFA: Over 6 000 cases of Russiaʼs use of chemical weapons have been recorded in Ukraine in two years

In two years, Russia has used munitions containing dangerous chemicals more than 6 000 times in the war against Ukraine.

This is stated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The department noted that they carefully reviewed the second report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the results of the OPCW technical assistance visit to Ukraine and the conclusions on the evidence submitted by Ukraine of Russiaʼs violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction.

The OPCW experts analyzed materials provided by Ukraine, including four Russian RG-Vo grenades and corresponding soil and grass samples.

As a result, two OPCW-certified laboratories independently confirmed that the evidence submitted by Ukraine contained the substance CS, which is part of riot control measures.

"From February 2023 to February 2025, 6,129 cases of the use by Russian occupiers of ammunition containing dangerous chemicals, including 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS), chloroacetophenone (CN), as well as chloropicrin and mercaptans (malodorants), were documented," the Foreign Ministry added.

• The UK has imposed sanctions on the Russian Armed Forces for using chemical weapons in the war. The weapons in question were chloropicrin, known as “agent PS”, and nitrochloroform, a poisonous irritant gas.
• The US State Department confirmed in May 2024 that the Russian army is using chloropicrin against Ukrainian soldiers, in violation of the UN Chemical Weapons Convention. The US has already imposed sanctions on Russia over this.
• The Ukrainian Armed Forces command officially reported that Russian troops use poisonous gases and tear gas ammunition on the battlefield. Most of these are K-51 and RGR grenades, which are dropped on positions by drones. As of September 2024, the Russian Federation has carried out 4 228 chemical attacks.

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