War in Ukraine: BND: Russia increasingly use of chemical weapons in Ukraine

According to the findings of the Federal Intelligence Service and two Dutch secret services, Russia increases the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. “The use of tear gases and chlorpikrine by Russian troops has now become a standard practice and widespread,” said German foreign intelligence as well as the Dutch military intelligence service MIVD and the Dutch news service AIVD. Russia thus violates the chemical weapons agreement that aims at a global ban on such weapons.

Chlorpikrin, also called Trichlornittromethane, is a chemical fighting material from the group of lung fight fabrics. In the First World War it was also used under the name Grünkreuz-1. Green cross because grenades filled with such fighting materials were marked with a green cross at the time.

“Chlorpikrin serious violation of chemical weapons”

Chlorpikrine could be fatal in high concentration in closed rooms, it said. The use is a serious violation of the chemical weapon agreement, which prohibits the use of this lung fighting material under all circumstances, emphasized the secret services. The use of tear gas also violates the Convention.

Secret services: Russia invests in chemical weapons program

According to observations by BND, MIVD and AIVD, the Russian leadership and its radiological, chemical and biological defense force actively support and promote the forbidden use. It is very likely that this continues to be a threat. In addition, Russia invests heavily in its chemical weapon program. The research in the field would be expanded, new scientists are recruited.

According to this information, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense said that Russia had already used chemical effects against Ukrainian troops over 9,000 times. According to Ukraine, at least three deaths could be attributed directly to the effects of chemical weapons.

Indirectly, the use of chemical weapons leads to much more victims by Russia, since chemical weapons force Ukrainian soldiers to leave their cover, whereupon they are fired and killed with conventional ammunition.

Ukrainian general staff comments on fighting materials

In an information event for 35 military attachés in Kiev at the end of May, according to a announcement by the Ukrainian general staff, in addition to the use of tear gas, it was mentioned that the Russian army had not yet used any fatal chemical fighting materials. In addition, it was said in the instruction that the funds used by Russia were formally not chemical weapons, but the use in the war nevertheless violated the Geneva conventions.

In June, Ukraine informed the organization for the ban on chemical weapons (OPCW) that from February 2023 to June 2025, a good 9,700 cases were documented in which Russian troops had used ammunition with dangerous chemical fabrics as a means of war.