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European intelligence agencies are accusing Russia of widespread use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, including a banned choking agent that forces soldiers out of trenches, so they can more easily be killed.
The Dutch and German intelligence agencies have both made the claim, which has led to calls for harsher sanctions on Moscow.
“The main conclusion is that we can confirm Russia is intensifying its use of chemical weapons,” Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans told Reuters.
“This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia’s use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread.”
The head of the Dutch intelligence agency, Peter Reesink, said the accusation followed “our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations.”
Reesink claims Russia has a “large-scale” chemical-weapons program.
“This isn’t just some ad-hoc tinkering at the frontline; it is truly part of a large-scale program. And that is, of course, also concerning because if we don’t clarify and publicize what Russia is doing, it’s highly likely these trends will continue,” Reesink said.
He called the use of chemical weapons by Russian armed forces “almost standing operating procedure.”
“We specifically linked the use of chloropicrin to improvised munitions, such as filled light bulbs and empty bottles that are hung from a drone. When it comes to teargas, we see that they are also misusing and converting existing munitions to act as the carrier for the gas.”
The US accused Russian of using chlorpicrin in May 2024. The chemical was first used in World War One and is significantly more toxic than gases used for riot control. It is banned by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a disarmament agency in the Hague that has 193 member states, including Russia and the US.
Ukraine has alleged thousands of instances of chemical-weapon use by Russia.
In turn, Russia has accused Ukraine of doing the same. This week, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry said a stockpile of Ukrainian weapons including chloropicrin had been discovered in eastern Ukraine.
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