Russia intensifies use of chemical weapons in Ukraine - intelligence from Germany and the Netherlands

According to intelligence agencies, the Kremlin is actively using various chemicals, including more toxic substances, without hesitating to violate international conventions. This is reported in its material Politico.

"We are recording a growing willingness to use such means. The threat from the Russian chemical programme is steadily growing," stressed the director of military intelligence of the Netherlands, Vice Admiral Peter Reysink.

The report said the Russian army uses a wide range of chemicals, including chloropicrin, a toxic compound that causes asphyxiation and breathing difficulties. This substance was first used back in World War I and can be deadly in high concentrations.

According to Ukrainian authorities, at least three military personnel have been killed in chemical weapons attacks. The defence forces also note that Russian drones have been dropping chemicals directly into trenches to force soldiers to leave their positions and become targets in open terrain.

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans, in comments to Reuters, called the developments "alarming" and said Russia was "normalising" the use of banned substances on the battlefield. He said such tactics are becoming increasingly "common."

He also called for increased sanctions pressure on Moscow, saying the international community cannot stand by when international law is systematically violated.

Chemical and biological weapons were banned back in 1925 under the Geneva Protocol. However, after massive use in both world wars, the international community took stricter measures. In 1992, the Chemical Weapons Convention extended the ban to the development, production and storage of such substances.

Nevertheless, according to Western experts, Russia continues to actively use banned technologies. In May 2024, the US had already accused Moscow of violating the Convention - after using chemicals in battles in Ukraine.

"The Russian army is casting aside moral and legal constraints by using archaic but deadly weapons of the last century," the report's authors believe.

Given the scale of violations, the intelligence services call not only for tougher sanctions, but also for the creation of international mechanisms to monitor and suppress such incidents. The analysts also emphasise: the large-scale use of chemical weapons poses a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the entire international security architecture.

"If the international community does not react firmly, it will set a dangerous precedent for other states willing to violate global agreements without consequences," the experts say.

As the war continues, the risks from such practices only increase. The issue of chemical weapons brings the world back to the troubling pages of history, when morality retreated before brutal military ambitions.