Ukraine presents evidence of Russia's chemical weapons violations in Hague

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the information.

The 108th meeting of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) took place on March 4–5 in The Hague and included a report from the Ukrainian delegation.

Andriy Kasianov, Deputy Director of the International Security Department at Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported a rise in Russia’s use of hazardous chemicals on the frontline. Specifically, he noted the use of riot control agents, emphasizing that this violates Article 1, Paragraph 5 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The head of the Ukrainian delegation reported that, according to the Ministry of Defense, over 6,900 instances of ammunition containing chemicals were recorded between February 2023 and February 2025. Of these, 844 occurred between December 24, 2024, and January 24, 2025. Additionally, Ukrainian servicemen sought medical care 2,100 times for symptoms of chemical exposure, with three fatalities recorded.

"The Ukrainian delegation highlighted the OPCW's second report, which confirmed that the evidence provided by Ukraine, including four Russian RG-VO gas grenades and relevant soil and grass samples, contained CS, a substance commonly used in riot control agents. It was also emphasized that, according to Ukrainian authorities, these RG-VO grenades are produced in Russia, particularly at the Applied Chemistry Research Center and the Applied Chemistry Research Institute," the statement added.

• Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian army has used ammunition containing hazardous chemicals more than 6,900 times.