Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine
- Matthew Parish
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Reports have emerged alleging that Russian forces are employing chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. These allegations, if substantiated, represent a serious breach of international law and have significant implications for global security.
Confirmation of Chemical Weapon Use
Ukrainian officials and frontline soldiers have reported instances of chemical agents being used to dislodge troops from entrenched positions. For example, there are claims that chloropicrin (a World War I poison that induces reverse peristalsis, nausea and diarrhoea) and tear gases have been deployed, leading to respiratory distress, burning sensations, and nausea among Ukrainian soldiers. However it is not certain what sorts of chemical weapons have been used, due to difficult battlefield conditions and the challenges facing front line combat medics in carrying the relevant antidotes and identifying and treating chemical weapon injuries. Over 2,000 soldiers have reportedly been treated for exposure, with at least three fatalities attributed to suffocation from tear gas or other chemical weapons. The State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) assesses that chemical weapons have been used by the Russian Armed Forces in at least 4,800 cases. In response, Ukrainian forces have begun equipping themselves with gas masks to mitigate the effects of such attacks.
The United States accused Russia of using chemical weapons on the battlefield in May 2024. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a UN agency, confirmed the use of tear gas agents on the battlefield by the Russian Armed Forces in November 2024. Given the ever-increasing use of chemical weapons on the battlefield, yesterday on 8 April 2025 the United Kingdom confirmed that she would be sending more than 65,000 gas masks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to assist them on the battlefield. A British chemical weapons expert has assessed that the Russian Armed Forces have been using chemical weapons on the battlefield "consistently" over the past 18 months - that is to say, since October 2023. However there have been reports of the Russian Armed Forces using chemical weapons in Ukraine since at least November 2022.
Russia’s Chemical Weapons Arsenal
Historically, Russia inherited a vast chemical weapons stockpile from the Soviet Union, including agents like VX, sarin, soman, mustard gas, and phosgene. Notably, the Soviet Union and then Russia, between 1971 and 1993, developed the Novichok series of nerve agents, reputed to be among the deadliest, with some variants potentially five to ten times more potent than VX. Despite claims of having destroyed its chemical weapons stockpiles by 2017, recent incidents, such as the poisoning of the GRU (Russian military intelligence) double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, a town in the United Kingdom, in March 2018, suggest that Russia may have retained or clandestinely continue to develop these agents.
Symptoms and Indicators of Nerve Agent Exposure
The concern naturally arises that Russia is moving from the use of tear gas agents (known as "lachrimators", because they over-stimulate the lachrymal gland in the eye, causing effects as severe as blindness) to more severe forms of chemical weapon. Nerve agents like Novichok disrupt the nervous system by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (i.e. breaking down or hydrolysing an essential neurotransmitter), leading to a cholinergic crisis (an inability of the brain to operative cognitive activities). Symptoms include:
• Excessive salivation and tearing
• Muscle twitching and weakness
• Respiratory distress
• Convulsions
• Loss of consciousness
Recent reports of Ukrainian soldiers experiencing severe respiratory issues and frothing at the mouth align with these symptoms, raising concerns about potential nerve agent use on the front line.
Delivery Mechanisms in the Ukrainian Conflict
The current conflict is largely characterised by trench warfare and close combat, in which Russian troops are aiming to take sequentially aligned front attack trenches from the Ukrainian Armed Forces amidst open fields and woods. In this context, chemical agents can be delivered through various means:
• Artillery Shells and Rockets: Traditional methods for dispersing chemical agents over a target area.
• Aerial Bombs: Dropped from aircraft to release chemical payloads.
• Drones: Modified to disperse chemical agents over enemy positions.
• Grenades: Hand-thrown or launched to deploy agents in confined spaces. The Russian K-51 and RG-VO tear gas grenades have been identified as being used in multiple instances.
International Legal Implications
The use of chemical weapons, including both tear gas variants and nerve agents, violates several international treaties, notably the Chemical Weapons Conventions of 1993 and 1997 (CWC), to which Russia is a signatory. Such actions constitute war crimes under international law. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has jurisdiction over war crimes and could potentially indict individuals responsible for deploying chemical weapons. The ICC has already opened investigations into alleged crimes of this nature committed in Ukraine since November 2013.
Historical Precedents and Potential Responses
In 2017, following a chemical attack in Syria attributed to the Assad regime, the United States, under President Donald Trump, launched precision strikes against Syrian military targets. This response underscored a zero-tolerance policy on the part of the Trump administration for chemical weapon use. Given that credible evidence has now emerged confirming Russia’s use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, similar international military responses could be considered. However, direct military action against a nuclear-armed state like Russia carries significant risks and would require careful deliberation.
Alternatively, as retaliatory measures for the use of chemical weapons by Russia, the United States and Europe could increase military supplies to the front line and/or tighten sanctions. The Biden administration threatened to do so in 2024, but never followed through. Given that ceasefire talks between the United States and Russia appear to be indefinitely on hold following an apparently unsuccessful visit to Washington, DC by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev last week, some action to punish Russia for her use of chemical weapons on the battlefield is surely warranted.
Conclusion
The alleged use of chemical weapons by Russian forces in Ukraine presents a grave challenge to international norms and security. Thorough investigations are imperative to substantiate these claims. Should they be verified, the international community must respond decisively to uphold the prohibition against chemical weapons and hold perpetrators accountable.