While it was already known that Russia uses tear gas in Ukraine, the MIVD and AIVD confirm that Russia is also deploying the stronger chemical agent chloropicrin. This conclusion is drawn by the services in conjunction with the German foreign intelligence service BND. Chloropicrin is deadly at high concentrations in enclosed spaces. This is an even greater violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this choking agent under all circumstances.

MIVD Director Vice Admiral Peter Reesink sees this intensification as a worrying development: “It shows that Russia - when it comes to chemical weapons - is intensifying its use. At the same time, we see that Russia is increasingly using these types of weapons. This increases the threat posed by the Russian chemical weapons program.”

Minister Brekelmans: “Russia is going further in the use of chemical weapons. It is happening systematically and on a substantial scale. This is a slippery slope. It is completely unacceptable and once again shows what a brutal aggressor Ukraine is facing. We are making this public now because the Russian use of chemical weapons must not be normalized. If the threshold for the use of this type of weapon is lowered, it is not only dangerous for Ukraine but also for the rest of Europe and the world. More sanctions, isolation of Russia, and unwavering military support for Ukraine are in order.”

Ukrainian Victims

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Russia has carried out more than 9,000 attacks with chemical weapons on Ukrainian soldiers since the large-scale invasion in 2022. At least three deaths are directly attributed by Ukraine to exposure to chemical weapons.

Indirectly, the Russian use of chemical weapons leads to many more deadly Ukrainian casualties. This is because many Ukrainian soldiers are forced to leave their shelter due to the use of chemical weapons. They are then killed with conventional munitions.

Russian Intensification

The MIVD and AIVD see that the Russian military leadership, including the Russian Radiological, Chemical and Biological (RCB) Defense Forces, supports the use of chemical weapons and has also begun to actively facilitate it. The use of tear gases and chloropicrin by Russian troops has now been standardized and is a daily occurrence. It is very likely that this will remain a threat in the future.

In addition to the fact that Russia is investing heavily in the chemical weapons program, research into chemical weapons is expanding, and new scientists are being recruited for the program.