Russia uses a larger number of banned chemical weapons in the attacks in Ukraine, according to the findings of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and two Dutch news agencies. TASR reports according to Friday’s report by DPA and Reuters.
“The use of tear gas and chloropicrine with Russian units has currently become common and widespread practice,” said BND, Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) and Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) on Friday.
The use of chloropicrin is a serious violation of the Convention on Chemical Weapons
Chloropicrine, a suffocating substance that has tear -like properties, is also known as trichlórnitromethane and its use is prohibited by convention on chemical weapons (CWC). During the First World War, it was also referred to as the “Green Cross”, because in this way they were referred to at that time the charges filled with such substances, the DPA specifies. It was then used by German troops.
Chloropicrine may be fatal in high concentrations in confined spaces, the report said. Intelligences have stressed that the use of chloropicrin is a serious CWC violation that prohibits its use at all times. It can cause serious irritation of the skin, eyes and airways. After ingestion, it can cause burns in the mouth and stomach, nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Russia is said to throw a suffocating gas out of drones in order to expel soldiers from trenches
The Dutch military and general intelligence services in cooperation with foreign partners claim that they have found specific evidence of the intensification of Russian chemical weapons production.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for stricter sanctions against Moscow, writes Reuters. The secret service report shows that the suffocating gas is thrown from drones to expel the trenches and then shoot them.
The head of the Dutch military intelligence, Peter Reesink, said the reports are based on “our own independent intelligence information, so we observed it ourselves based on our own investigation”. Reuters was unable to independently verify the use of banned chemicals by any of the parties in the war in Ukraine.
This is not the first time Russia has been charged with the use of chloropicrine
However, the United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrin last May. The Russian Defense Ministry has not responded to a request for a statement. Previously, however, it denied the use of illegal ammunition and, on the contrary, accused Ukraine of it. Kiev repeatedly denies these accusations.
At least three deaths in Ukraine are related to the use of chemical weapons, Brekelmans said, while more than 2500 people injured on the battlefield reported the symptoms of chemical weapons to the Ukrainian health authorities. Increased use of chemical weapons Russia is a threat not only to Ukraine but also for other countries, Brekelmans added.
Reesink spoke of “thousands of cases” of the use of chemical weapons by Russia and at the same time cited the Ukrainian figure with 9000 such cases, writes Reuters.
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was first signed in Paris in 1993.
