Russia has used munitions containing dangerous chemicals more than 6,900 times since the start of its large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Russia has used chemical weapons over 6,900 times against Ukraine, posing a significant threat to the Ukrainian military.
- Ukrainian servicemen have required medical care due to exposure to dangerous chemicals, confirming the use of chemical weapons by Russia.
- New chemical grenades like RG-Vo with chloroacetophenone are being employed by Russia, surpassing the toxicity of the banned chemical gas CS.
Russia is massively using banned chemical weapons against Ukraine
According to Colonel Valeriy Weber, Deputy Head of the Main Department of Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety of the Ministry of Defense, during the large-scale war, medical assistance was provided to almost 3,400 Ukrainian servicemen with signs of poisoning by an unknown chemical substance.
A command and staff exercise on the prosecution of chemical, bacteriological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) crimes was held in the Slovak city of Žilina with the support of the European Commission's Service for Foreign Policy Instruments. The event aimed to strengthen capabilities in the prosecution of chemical, bacteriological, radiological and nuclear crimes.
The participants of the exercise became familiar with international experience, gained in-depth knowledge and understanding of legal instruments, and analyzed national and international legislation (conventions, amendments, and other obligations) that apply in the field of prosecution of CBRN crimes.
The main ammunition used by Russia against the Armed Forces of Ukraine is K-51, RGR chemical grenades, which contain "Lilac" gas, a dangerous chemical substance CS.
Since December 2023, the Russians have been using a new chemical grenade, the RG-Vo, which contains chloroacetophenone or CN (known as “Cheremukha”). Although the irritant effect is considered weaker than that of CS, the substance itself is more toxic — chloroacetophenone is 3-10 times more dangerous than the irritant.
