Ukraine presents evidence of Russia's use of chemical weapons in The Hague

On March 4-5, during a meeting of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, the Ukrainian delegation presented evidence of systemic violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

The head of the delegation, Deputy Director of the International Security Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Kasyanov, emphasized the increase in cases of Russia's use of dangerous chemicals, in particular chemical riot control agents, as a method of waging war against Ukraine.

According to the Ministry of Defense, from February 2023 to February 2025, more than 6,900 cases of the use of chemical munitions were recorded. For the period from December 24, 2024 to January 24, 2025 alone, 844 such cases were recorded. More than 2,100 appeals of soldiers to medical institutions with symptoms of chemical injury were also recorded, including three fatalities.

Ukraine drew attention to a report confirming that evidence provided by Kyiv in the form of four Russian gas grenades and corresponding soil and grass samples contained the substance CS, which is part of riot control measures. The grenades are manufactured at Russian enterprises, in particular at the Scientific Center for Applied Chemistry and the Scientific and Applied Institute of Applied Chemistry.

Kasyanov also stressed the importance of further isolating Russia on the international stage and preventing it from joining the OPCW Executive Council for the third year in a row.

• On December 16, 2024, Russian General Kirillov was charged in absentia in Ukraine with ordering the use of chemical weapons against the Defense Forces.
• On December 17, it was reported that Kirillov was blown up in Moscow. The SBU is behind the liquidation.
• On February 28, 2025, the SBU reported that a Russian commander who gave the order to attack Ukrainian defenders in Donetsk Oblast with banned chemical weapons was charged in absentia.