Russia expanding chemical weapons use in Ukraine, say European spy agencies

Al Jazeera

a day ago

Russia has intensified its use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers in a serious violation of international law, the Dutch and German intelligence agencies have said.
On Friday, they said there was extensive evidence that Moscow's forces were using banned products, including the choking agent chloropicrin.
'It is normalised and widespread. Chloropicrin is dropped by drones to drive soldiers out of trenches, and then kill them,' Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said in a post on X.
Brekelmans, who is now calling for tougher sanctions against Russia, described the use of chemical weapons as 'horrible and unacceptable'.
Peter Reesink, the head of the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), confirmed that the findings were based on its own investigations. There were 'thousands of instances' of chemical weapons use by Russia, he said.
'This isn't just some ad hoc tinkering at the front line; it is truly part of a large-scale programme. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don't clarify and publicise what Russia is doing, it's highly likely these trends will continue,' Reesink added.
Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency also corroborated the MIVD's conclusions.
The Russian army was using tear gas as well as 'the more dangerous chemical chloropicrin, which can be lethal in high concentrations in enclosed spaces' in Ukraine, the BND said in a statement.
'This represents a more serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this lung warfare agent under all circumstances,' it noted.
Speaking to Reuters about the Dutch and German intelligence reports, Brekelmans, the Dutch defence minister, said that at least three Ukrainian deaths had been linked to Russian chemical weapons, with more than 2,500 people reporting symptoms related to the banned products.
More needed to be done to deter Russia from deploying such weapons, he suggested.
'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 (the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons),' Brekelmans said.
Russia denies using the prohibited weapons, as does Ukraine. On Wednesday, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, claimed that the Federal Security Service found a cache of Ukrainian weapons in the east of the country containing chloropicrin.
The OPCW said last year that Russian and Ukrainian accusations that the other side was using banned weapons were 'insufficiently substantiated'.
The disarmament agency, which is based in The Hague and has 193 member states, has not conducted a full investigation, something which can only happen at the request of member states.
Fighting grinds on
The allegations of increased Russian chemical weapons use came as Ukraine reported the largest ever Russian drone and missile attack on the country.
A Ukrainian air force official told local media it is the biggest of the war so far, with Moscow firing 539 drones and 11 missiles overnight.
The attacks on Kyiv injured at least 23 people, damaging railway infrastructure and setting buildings and cars on fire, authorities said.
A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Rostov region killed at least one woman and forced the evacuation of dozens of people from their homes, the acting governor said.
In the meantime, on Friday, both countries confirmed that they had carried out their latest prisoner exchange, with neither side giving details about the number of soldiers involved.
The swap followed an agreement made in the Turkish capital, Istanbul, in June.
On the diplomatic front, United States President Donald Trump said he had made no progress, expressing his 'disappointment', during his phone call on Thursday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who reportedly reiterated he would stop his invasion only if the conflict's 'root causes' were tackled.
Trump also said he was planning to discuss the conflict with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Zelenskyy said he hoped to speak with Trump about the supply of US weapons to Ukraine.
The US said on Tuesday that it was halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv that were promised under the Biden administration, as Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine.
The Biden administration-era pledges, which included various munitions to bolster Ukraine's defences, are now under review as the Pentagon reassesses current inventory levels. The move could signal a shift in priorities under Trump, who has pressed for a more restrained global military posture.
Missiles for Patriot air defence systems and Hellfire missiles are among weapons being held back, according to US media.
Putin and Trump did not discuss the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said.