Russians use chemical agents to "smoke out" Ukrainian military from defensive positions – Ukrainian Armed Forces
Armed Forces of Ukraine (Illustrative photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

Russians are using hazardous chemicals to "smoke out" Ukrainian defenders from their defensive positions. This was reported by Colonel Artem Vlasiuk, head of the Civil Defense Department of the Chemical Warfare Department of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Command, during a briefing, the correspondent of LIGA.net.

According to Vlasiuk, the enemy is intensifying the use of chemical agents in those areas where it conducts offensive and assault operations and where it is most difficult for it to break through our defense.

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These means are used to force the defenders to leave their trenches and dugouts.

"The danger of such use is that these substances force servicemen to leave their shelters," Vlasiuk explained.

He added that the aggressive chemicals temporarily disable the senses of the soldiers in the trenches – they cannot see, cannot work properly with weapons and are forced to stop performing tasks.

The colonel also noted that almost 11,000 cases of the use of hazardous chemicals against the Ukrainian military have been recorded.

"Some of the incidents were identified as the use of irritants, in particular tear gas, while other cases remain unidentified," Vlasiuk said.

According to him, about 55% of cases are declared as the use of unknown chemicals due to limitations in the moment of fixation and the lack of immediate laboratory confirmation.

According to Vlasyuk, the types of attacks recorded include the use of grenades and explosive devices that could contain ammonia or chlorine, but final conclusions are made after sampling and examination by mobile chemical reconnaissance teams.

According to Vlasiuk, the best way to protect yourself is with a gas mask. He said that every serviceman is now provided with a gas mask, and there are also units and services that carry out reconnaissance and sampling.