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Japan Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine 'widespread,' Dutch defense minister says
Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, they said on Friday. 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 said. "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. 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 I, in May last year. A Ukrainian military engineer inspects a trench near the front lines outside Kupiansk, Ukraine, in December 2023. | 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. Ukraine has consistently denied such accusations. The Organization 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. An infantry soldier scans the sky for enemy drones as he stands in a front line trench in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, in April 2024. | REUTERS 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. 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 use 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. 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. 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.
Miami Herald
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
NATO Allies Sound Alarm on Russia Chemical Weapons
Dutch and German intelligence services believe Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the deployment of the chemical agent chloropicrin, which can be deadly. The assessment was revealed by the Dutch defense ministry on Friday, July 4. It said the conclusion on Russia's use of chloropicrin is shared by the Dutch military and general intelligence services, MIVD and AIVD, and Germany's foreign intelligence service, the BND. Chloropicrin is banned in war under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Russia is a signatory. Russia is already widely using tear gas, the Dutch defense ministry said, and called the deployment of chloropicrin a "grave violation" of the CWC. Newsweek has contacted the office of the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for comment, and also the OPCW, which administers the convention. "Russia is going ever further in deploying chemical weapons. It is happening systematically and on a substantial scale," said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in a statement. "This is a slippery slope. It is utterly unacceptable and again highlights the brutal aggressor Ukraine is facing. "We are making this public now because the use of chemical weapons by Russia must not be normalized. If the threshold for deploying this type of weapon is lowered, it poses a danger not just to Ukraine, but to all of Europe and the world. "More sanctions, further isolation of Russia, and unwavering military support for Ukraine are warranted." This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow. Related Articles Zelensky Reveals How 'Cynical' Russia Responded to Trump-Putin CallTrump Shares Candid Assessment of Putin CallDonald Trump Reveals Details of Vladimir Putin CallRussia Celebrates US Stopping Ukraine Weapons Shipments 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Reuters
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine 'widespread', Dutch defence minister says
THE HAGUE, July 4 (Reuters) - Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, they said on Friday. Dutch Defence 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. "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. 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. Ukraine alleges thousands of instances of Russian chemical weapons use. Russia's defence 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. 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 levelled 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. 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. 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 use 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. 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. 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.
Al Jazeera
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia expanding chemical weapons use in Ukraine, say European spy agencies
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.
CNA
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine 'widespread', Dutch defence minister says
THE HAGUE: Dutch intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, the defence minister and chief of military intelligence in the Netherlands told Reuters. Defence 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 said in an interview. "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." The Dutch intelligence findings on alleged Russian use of chloropicrin, a banned warfare agent first used by Germany during World War I, have not previously been reported. 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, in May last year. Ukraine alleges thousands of instances of Russian chemical weapons use. Russia's defence 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. 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 levelled 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. 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 to be presented in a letter to the Dutch parliament on Friday. LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMME 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 use 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. 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 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 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. 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.
