Russians use chemicals more often at the frontline
24 June 2024 15:00
During the large-scale war, the Russian military, along with the use of conventional firepower, has been using special ammunition equipped with hazardous chemicals, mainly CS (2-chlorobenzalmononitrile). This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is noted that the CS substance is a tear gas, often used by the police against violators at demonstrations. Formally, CS is not a chemical weapon and, according to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, Use and Destruction of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction of 13 January 1993, is classified as a “chemical riot control agent”.
The Convention defines the substance as a “riot control chemical”. It is capable of causing irritation of the senses or physical disorders in the human body, which disappear after the end of the action.
“Therefore, the statement that riot control agents, including CS, are classified as chemical weapons is incorrect. However, the use of this gas during hostilities is unacceptable in accordance with Article II, paragraph 5 of the Convention,”
– the General Staff stressed.
In May 2024, the radiation, chemical, biological intelligence groups of the Chemical Defence Forces of the Armed Forces Support Command recorded and documented 715 cases of the use of ammunition containing hazardous chemical compounds by the Russians, which is 271 cases more than in April. The main means of delivery is the dropping of K-51 and RG-VO grenades from UAVs.
A total of 2,698 uses of hazardous chemicals by Russians were recorded between 15 February 2023 and 24 May. There were 1385 cases of servicemen seeking medical care with symptoms of chemical exposure of varying severity, including 215 in May alone.
“The use of chemical weapons or chemical riot control agents as a means of warfare is a violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction,”
– the General Staff emphasised.
