According to ISW, russian forces are increasingly using chemical weapons in Ukraine in continued apparent violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which russia is a party.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that russian forces currently launch chemical weapons at Ukrainian positions up to 10 times a day and that russian forces typically use drones to drop K-51 grenades filled with irritant CS gas (2-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile), a type of tear gas used for riot control (also known as a Riot Control Agent [RCA]), onto Ukrainian positions. However, they also use improvised explosive devices that have irritants added. Artillery shelling with hazardous chemicals is also carried out.
Read more: Chronicle of russia's Bloodiest War Crimes in Ukraine in 2023
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that russian forces used a new type of special gas grenade containing CS gas against Ukrainian positions on December 14, 2023.
The russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade previously acknowledged on December 22 that the brigade deliberately uses chemical weapons by dropping K-51 grenades from drones onto Ukrainian positions near Krynky in the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast.
A reminder that russia is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which prohibits the use of RCAs as a method of warfare.
Earlier, Politico published information about the risk of russia using chemical weapons in Ukraine.
According to the publication, Biden administration officials have assessed that the russian president may use chemical weapons in Ukraine first before resorting to a nuclear confrontation with NATO if his troops continue to lose ground.
Read more: russians Demonstrated a FAB-1500 Bomb With a UMPK, Manufactured on Machine Tools from China and Japan
