The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has no clear evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Russiaʼs war against Ukraine.
This is stated in the official statement of the OPCW.
The information available in the OPCW secretariat, with the help of which Russia and Ukraine are trying to prove the use of prohibited chemical substances by the other party, does not sufficiently substantiate the relevant accusations. However, the organization declares a "volatile situation" and recognizes the "possible" use of toxic chemicals as weapons.
- On May 1, the US government announced that Russian forces had used chlorpicrin, a poisonous irritant used during the First World War, against the Armed Forces. On this basis, Washington imposed sanctions against a number of Russian scientific institutes and companies.
- The Russian ambassador in Washington called the accusations "odious and baseless." Moscow has repeatedly denied the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. However, z-bloggers sometimes post videos confirming gas attacks on the front.
- The command of the Armed Forces previously officially reported that Russian troops use poison gas and tear gas ammunition on the battlefield. These are mostly K-51 and RGR grenades, which are dropped on positions by drones. As of March 2024, 1 068 chemical attacks were recorded.