News item | 04-07-2025 | 08:25
The MIVD and AIVD warn of an intensification of the Russian deployment of chemical weapons in Ukraine. This is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. More and more often, Russia is using a wide range of chemical weapons against Ukraine, where they do not shy away from using stronger substances such as chlorine picrine. Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced this to the House of Representatives today.
Where it was already known that Russia uses tear gas in Ukraine, the MIVD and AIVD confirm that Russia also uses the stronger chemical chlorine picrine. The services together with the German foreign intelligence service BND conclude this. Chlorine picrine is fatal at high concentrations in closed spaces. This is a coarser violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of this stifling substance under all circumstances.
Director MIVD ViceAdmiraal Peter Reesink sees this intensification as a worrying development: “It shows that Russia – where it is about chemical weapons – is intensifying the use. At the same time, Russia is increasing this type of weapons. This increases the threat from the Russian chemical weapon program.”
Minister Brekelmans: “Russia goes further and further into the use of chemical weapons. It happens systematically and on a substantial scale. This is a sliding scale. It is completely unacceptable and again shows which brutal aggressor Ukraine has opposite. We now make this public, because the russian deployment of this type of weapons is not allowed to be allowed to use this type of weapons. This is not only dangerous for Ukraine but also for the rest of Europe and the world, more sanctions, and without prejudice to Military Support for Ukraine. “
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 its large -scale invasion in 2022. At least three dead are immediately attributed by Ukraine to the exposure to chemical weapons.
Indirectly, the Russian deployment of chemical weapons leads to much more deadly Ukrainian victims. That is because many Ukrainian soldiers are forced by the use of chemical weapons to leave their hiding place. They are then killed with conventional ammunition.
Russian intensification
The MIVD and AIVD see that Russian military leadership, including the Russian radiological, chemical and biological (RCB) defense troops, supports the use of chemical weapons and has also actively facilitating. In the meantime, the use of tear gases and chlorine picrine has been standardized by Russian troops and the order of the day. It is very likely that this will also remain a threat in the future.
In addition to the fact that Russia invests heavily in the chemical weapon program, the research into chemical weapons is expanding and new scientists are recruited for the program.