The war in Ukraine has morphed into a harrowing nightmare, stretching into a grim third year. A chilling new threat has materialised on the battlefield: chemical weapons. As Matt Field reports, accusations against Russia for using these heinous weapons hang heavy in the air, threatening to unleash a nightmarish new chapter in this conflict. On April 5th, the Ukrainian Support Forces Command exposed a surge in chemical weapons use by Russian forces, indicating a staggering 371 incidents in March 2024 alone where Russian munitions contained chemical substances. This disturbing trend extends back to February 2023, with a total of over 1,400 alleged chemical weapons attacks by Russia documented over the past year.
Last week, James Rushton disclosed the result of an investigation conducted by The Telegraph, revealing that Russian troops use K-51 gas grenades, typically filled with tear gas, to make Ukrainian soldiers come out of hiding and attack them. Rebekah Maciorowski, a highly skilled American medic fighting alongside the Ukrainians, confirmed to The Telegraph the use of other kinds of gasses, such as hydrogen cyanide, chlorine, and chloropicrin, all of which were chemical weapons deployed during the First World War. Researchers have long reported that chemical attacks leave a trail of devastation for women and children (and civilians in general), not just in the immediate aftermath but for years to come, affecting entire communities and societies for generations, as a report by Inji El Bakry and Tobias Schneider for the Global Public Policy Institute concluded.
We must pay close attention to the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, and not only because of the over 400 related deaths reported since the conflict began. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), established in 1997, outlaws the use of chemical weapons entirely and bans any large-scale activities related to them, including the development, production, stockpiling, and even the transfer of chemicals used to make them. This blatant violation of international law weakens international order and endangers global peace and security. The methods used to produce these weapons, along with the tactics deployed by the Russian army, might embolden other rogue states to follow suit.
The brutal war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has taken a horrifying turn with accusations of chemical weapons use by Russia. This escalation shatters the fragile hope that emerged after February 2022, when Moscow launched a relentless assault, shattering the region’s peace. What began as a blitzkrieg quickly stalled in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, morphing into a war of attrition. Civilian casualties are mounting steadily, with the UN Monitoring Mission in Ukraine estimating a grim death toll exceeding 30,000 so far. Now, another spectre looms large – the spectre of chemical weapons. This raises fears of an even more devastating chapter in this conflict. These weapons have the potential to inflict indiscriminate suffering and set a dangerous precedent for the future of global security.
Chemical weapon usage in Ukraine casts a long, dark shadow over the fragile hope for peace. This escalation not only threatens the lives of innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, but also weakens the international order painstakingly built since World War I. The potential for copycat actions by other rogue actors looms large, jeopardising global security for years to come. The world must act decisively to hold Russia accountable for these war crimes and prevent the proliferation of chemical weapons. Unless a swift and forceful response is mounted, the ghastly scenes of Ukraine may become a grim harbinger of many more conflicts to come.
