Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine ‘widespread', Dutch defense minister says
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
'The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons,' he told Reuters.
Advertisement
8 Firefighters rush to a fire that erupted after a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine on July 4, 2025.
STATE EMERGENSY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images
'This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia's use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread.'
Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency confirmed the findings, saying in a statement that it had obtained the evidence alongside its Dutch counterparts. Reuters was first to report on the intelligence.
Advertisement
The head of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD), Peter Reesink, said the conclusions followed 'our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations.'
Reuters has not been able to independently verify the use of banned chemical substances by either side in the Ukraine war.
The United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a chemical compound more toxic than riot control agents and first used by Germany during World War One, in May last year.
8 Smoke rises over Kyiv after an all-night Russian drone and missile attack.
AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
8 A fire burns in Sergiyev Posad outside Moscow, Russia after a Ukrainian counter-attack on July 4, 2025.
via REUTERS
Ukraine alleges thousands of instances of Russian chemical weapons use.
Russia's defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article. Russia has denied using illegal munitions and it has accused Ukraine of doing so.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said on Wednesday that the Federal Security Service discovered a Ukrainian cache of explosive devices in the east of the country containing chloropicrin.
Advertisement
Ukraine has consistently denied such accusations.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a disarmament agency in The Hague with 193 member states, said last year that initial accusations leveled by both countries at each other were 'insufficiently substantiated.'
It has not been asked to conduct a full investigation, which must be initiated by member states.
At least three Ukrainian deaths have been tied to chemical weapons use, Brekelmans said, while more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield reported chemical weapons-related symptoms to Ukrainian health authorities.
Increased use of chemical weapons by Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine but to other countries, Brekelmans added.
'We must further increase the pressure. This means looking at more sanctions and specifically not allowing them (Russia) to participate in international bodies like the Executive Council of the OPCW,' he said.
8 An elderly couple crosses a street in Kyiv as emergency workers respond to smoke rising from a Russian attack on July 4, 2025.
STATE EMERGENSY SERVICE OF UKRAINE/AFP via Getty Images
Advertisement
8 Ukrainian residents talk outside a damaged school building after a Russian attack in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv.
Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Reesink spoke of 'thousands of instances' of chemical weapons use, while also citing a Ukrainian figure of 9,000.
Rotating two-year seats on the OPCW council will be up for negotiation in the coming months.
The intelligence findings were presented in a letter to the Dutch parliament on Friday.
LARGE-SCALE PROGRAM
Advertisement
Russia is a member of the OPCW and, like the United States, has destroyed its declared chemical weapons stockpiles.
Increased sanctions could happen in conjunction with the European Commission, which has proposed listing 15 additional new entities and individuals to its sanctions framework, including for suspected us of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The Dutch military and general intelligence agencies, working with foreign partners, say they have uncovered concrete evidence of intensified Russian chemical weapons production.
8 Kyiv residents sleep on the floor of a subway station being used as a shelter during a Russian drone and missile strike on July 4, 2025.
Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Advertisement
This includes heightened research capabilities and the recruitment of scientists for chemical weapons development, Reesink said. He added that Russian officials have given instructions to soldiers on the use of poisonous warfare agents.
'This isn't just some ad-hoc tinkering at the frontline; it is truly part of a large-scale program. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don't clarify and publicize what Russia is doing, it's highly likely these trends will continue,' Reesink said.
He called the use of chemical weapons by Russian armed forces 'almost standing operating procedure.'
'We specifically linked the use of chloropicrin to improvised munitions, such as filled light bulbs and empty bottles that are hung from a drone. When it comes to teargas, we see that they are also misusing and converting existing munitions to act as the carrier for the gas,' he said.
Advertisement
8 Smoke rises behind people checking on the damage a building sustained during a recent Russian drone strike.
Getty Images
8 Firefighters battle a blaze in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 4, 2025.
AP
Chloropicrin is listed as a banned choking agent by OPCW, which was created to implement and monitor compliance with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
It can cause severe irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If ingested, it can cause burns in the mouth and stomach, nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hundreds rally on July 4 against immigration raids, budget bill in downtown L.A.
Lawrence Herrera started carrying a folded-up copy of his birth certificate in his wallet last week. He also saved a picture of his passport on his phone's camera roll. For the 67-year-old Atwater Village resident who was born and raised here, the precaution felt silly. But he's not taking any chances. 'I started hearing, 'He's taking anyone and everyone,'' Herrara said, referrring to President Trump's immigration crackdown. 'I thought, 'You know what? That could be me.'' Herrera was one of hundreds of protesters who spent Fourth of July in downtown Los Angeles to rally against the immigration raids that have roiled the region and the surge in federal funding approved this week to keep them going. Many on the street said they were skipping the barbecues and fireworks this year. Instead, they showed up at City Hall, some in costumes or wrapped in flags. A15-foot balloon of President Trump in Russian military uniform sat in Grand Park. Erica Ortiz, 49, was dressed as Lady Liberty in shackles. Herrera wore a Revolutionary War outfit covered in anti-Trump pins that he said was appropriate for the occasion. 'Guess what? We have no independence right now,' he said. 'That's why we're out here.' They marched through Olvera Street and outside the Federal Building, which houses the immigration court, waving signs. Several police officers were monitoring the protest but kept their distance during the gathering, which lasted a few hours. 'No more occupation! No more deportation!' the protesters chanted. At the federal building, military members lined up shoulder-to-shoulder guarding the property with shields and guns. Jacob Moreno, an English teacher from Rialto, held a sign that called the day a 'funeral for the freedom we pretend' still exists. He said the mood felt more solemn than the 'No Kings' demonstration last month, which he attributed to the passage of Trump's budget bill. The so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' adds roughly $150 billion to carry out mass deportations and fund border enforcement. 'This situation, this occupation is only going to get worse,' Moreno said. The 50-year-old said some of his high school students and their family members are undocumented. He and his daughter, a 16-year-old student, are helping set up a program to provide school supplies and hygiene items to students whose parents may be too afraid to go to work. 'I'm here to support my students, my community, and ultimately to stand on the right side of history,' he said. Cristina Muñoz Brown, of North Hollywood, shared a similar sentiment. 'I'm desperate for my people, I'm desperate to show up,' she said. Since the raids began, she said, the Fashion District where she works in the costume industry is a 'ghost town.' Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) addressed the crowd outside City Hall, calling the budget bill the 'Big Beautiful Scam.' 'Immigration spending in this country is now more than the military spending of 165 countries around the world. ICE has more money than the city of Los Angeles ten times over,' he said, as the crowd booed. 'That's not what we want our tax dollars going towards.' The city is still reeling from weeks of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the Southland and the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to respond to the protests that followed. There have been sweeps at local car washes and Home Depot parking lots targeting day laborers. 'There's too many things to protest right now,' said Hunter Dunn of the 50501 Movement, which organized the July 4 rally. Many immigrants, he said, are 'afraid to go to work, afraid to go to school.' Federal agents, often shielding their identities with face masks and sometimes driving unmarked cars, have been carrying out aggressive raids since early June, triggering widespread protests. Trump sent more than 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the L.A. area to protect federal buildings and workers during the unrest, which garnered pushback from state and local officials who complained that the military presence exacerbated the situation. Earlier this week, about 150 Guard members were released from the protest assignment. The immigration enforcement actions in L.A. have heightened tensions between city and state leaders and the Trump administration. The public sparring has played out on social media, and in court. Mayor Karen Bass renewed her calls this week for Trump to end the ICE raids, saying in a post on X that his administration is 'causing the fear and terror so many in LA are feeling.' 'They came for our neighbors in unmarked vans. Raided workplaces. Ripped apart families. Even U.S. citizens. This is not law enforcement—it's political theater with human costs,' she wrote in another post. Gov. Gavin Newsom is battling the Trump administration in court over the deployment of Guard troops without his consent. And this week, the Trump administration sued the city of L.A., Bass and City Council members, saying the city's sanctuary law is illegal. The law generally prohibits city employees or city property to be used to investigate or detain anyone for the purpose of immigration enforcement. On Wednesday, immigrants rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and Public Counsel sued the Trump administration in federal court seeking to block what the suit describes as the administration's 'ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law' during immigration raids in the L.A. area.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Trump signs ‘Big Beautiful Bill' into law after saluting B-2 pilots who joined Iran strikes
WASHINGTON — President Trump signed his 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' into law at a Fourth of July party on the White House lawn Friday — moments after fighter jets and B-2 bombers soared overhead in celebration of the recent bombing of Iran's nuclear sites. 'After that spectacular display of American power, let me just say God bless the United States military and God bless the USA,' Trump said from the Truman Balcony. 'As we enter our 249th year, America's winning, winning, winning like never before… The Golden Age of America is upon us.' Advertisement President Donald Trump signed the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' act into law from the White House as apart of the sweeping Fourth of July celebrations. REUTERS Trump asked the Missouri-based flight crews who participated in the Iran strikes to raise their hands — saying 'they don't want to be in disguise' after forcing Tehran into a cease-fire with Israel — before inking his landmark bill. 'In a few moments, we're going to make official the greatest victory yet when I sign the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill',' the 79-year-old president said to an audience of lawmakers and military families. Advertisement 'It's really promises made, promises kept — and we've kept them. Here's a triumph of democracy on the birthday of democracy, and I have to say that the people are happy.' Trump attacked his predecessor Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) before signing into law tax cuts on tips, overtime and Social Security benefits, plus new deductions for domestic car loan interest and higher state and local tax (SALT) deductions. Biden presided over 'four horrible years of embarrassment' for the country, Trump said — slamming the Democrat's management of illegal immigration and the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. President Trump signing the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' act from the White House lawn. Reuters video Advertisement Jeffries, who spoke against the bill for nearly nine hours on the House floor Thursday 'had a towel. He's wiping his face. That's not too elegant,' Trump ridiculed, adding that Democrats opposed to the bill 'developed a standard line — and we can't let them get away with it — 'Oh, it's dangerous. Oh, everybody's going to die.'' 'It's all a con job… just like the con job of 'Russia, Russia, Russia' and all of the other things they did — the 51 intelligence agents said the laptop from hell came from Russia,' he said. Trump told Republicans to 'just say what it is, because it's the most popular bill ever signed in the history of our country' — noting enhanced child tax credits and insisting that Americans 'won't even notice' cuts to Medicaid and SNAP highlighted by Democrats because 'it's just waste, fraud and abuse.' Advertisement 'We have the greatest country in the world and we're back — we're back like nobody thought possible this quickly,' the president said. 'I can say very proudly, and I don't have to quote the polls, that our country is more proud right now than it's been in many, many years,' Trump added. 'We have pride. We have dignity. We have something that has happened miraculously, so fast.'
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Russia launches largest missile and drone barrage on Kyiv since war in Ukraine began
The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelensky says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the call. Advertisement The seven-hour bombardment of Kyiv caused severe damage across multiple districts of the capital in a seven-hour onslaught, authorities said. Blasts lit up the night sky and echoed across the city as air raid sirens wailed. The blue lights of emergency vehicles reflected off high-rise buildings, and debris blocked city streets. 'It was a harsh, sleepless night,' Zelenskyy said. Russia has been stepping up its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. Less than a week ago, Russia launched what was then the largest aerial assault of the war. That strategy has coincided with a concerted Russian effort to break through parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure. Advertisement Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine during the night, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, but Russia also launched 11 missiles in the attack. Alya Shahlai, a 23-year-old Kyiv wedding photographer, said that her home was destroyed in the attack. 'We were all in the (basement) shelter because it was so loud, staying home would have been suicidal,' she told The Associated Press. 'We went down 10 minutes before and then there was a loud explosion and the lights went out in the shelter, people were panicking.' Five ambulances were damaged while responding to calls, officials said, and emergency services removed more than 300 tons of rubble. In Friday's call, Zelensky said he congratulated Trump and the American people on Independence Day and thanked the United States for its continued support. They discussed a possible future meeting between their teams to explore ways of enhancing Ukraine's protection against air attacks, Zelensky said. He added that they talked in detail about defense industry capabilities and direct joint projects with the US, particularly in drone technology. They also exchanged views on mutual procurement, investment, and diplomatic cooperation with international partners, Zelensky said. Peace efforts have been fruitless so far. Recent direct peace talks have led only to sporadic exchanges of prisoners of war, wounded troops, and the bodies of fallen soldiers. No date has been set for further negotiations. Ukrainian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry said another prisoner swap took place Friday, though neither side said how many soldiers were involved. Zelensky said most of the Ukrainians had been in Russian captivity since 2022. The Ukrainian soldiers were classified as 'wounded and seriously ill.' Advertisement The attack on Kyiv began the same day a phone call took place between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Asked if he made any progress during his call with Putin on a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine, Trump said: 'No, I didn't make any progress with him today at all.' 'I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin because I don't think he's there. I don't think he's looking to stop (the fighting), and that's too bad,' Trump said. According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser, the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow will seek to achieve its goals in Ukraine and remove the 'root causes' of the conflict. 'Russia will not back down from these goals,' Ushakov told reporters after the call. Russia's army crossed the border on Feb. 24, 2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely saying it was needed to protect Russian-speaking civilians in eastern Ukraine and prevent the country from joining NATO. Zelensky has repeatedly called out Russian disinformation efforts. The Ukrainian response needs to be speedy as Russia escalates its aerial attacks. Russia launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine in June, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier this week that Russia also launched more than 330 missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, at Ukrainian towns and cities that month. Throughout the night, AP journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault. Advertisement 'Absolutely horrible and sleepless night in Kyiv,' Sybiha wrote on social media platform X. 'One of the worst so far.' Ukraine's Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko described 'families running into metro stations, basements, underground parking garages, mass destruction in the heart of our capital.' 'What Kyiv endured last night, cannot be called anything but a deliberate act of terror,' she wrote on X. Kyiv was the primary target of the countrywide attack. At least 14 people were hospitalized, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Zelenskyy called the Kyiv attack 'cynical.' In Moscow, the Defense Ministry claimed its forces targeted factories producing drones and other military equipment in Kyiv. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed. Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones fell across at least 33 sites. In addition to the capital, the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions also sustained damage, Zelensky said. Emergency services reported damage in at least five of Kyiv's 10 districts.
