Russia stands accused of employing systematic chemical gas attacks against Ukrainian soldiers, with reports emerging of tear gas and other chemicals being dropped by small drones onto military positions, in clear violation of international law.

The British newspaper The Telegraph concluded this after an investigation. The newspaper relies on testimonies from Ukrainian soldiers in the city of Lyman, near Donetsk, among other sources.

According to testimonies from Ukrainian troops, such attacks have become alarmingly frequent, with soldiers describing encounters with CS gas, a substance explicitly banned during wartime under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

This accusation follows previous allegations against Moscow, notably its purported use of chemical weapons in a drone assault on the port city of Mariupol during the early stages of the invasion in February 2022.

Slava, a senior lieutenant stationed near Lyman in Donetsk oblast, disclosed that certain Ukrainian units under his command have experienced near-daily gas attacks.

This sentiment was echoed by Rebekah Maciorowski, an American combat medic and qualified nurse serving in the Ukrainian army, who attested to the systematic nature of these assaults.

Maciorowski provided verification of a CS gas grenade retrieved by soldiers from the 53rd Mechanised Brigade, illustrating the severity of the situation faced by Ukrainian forces.

Russian Chemical Warfare: gas grenades on “a daily basis.”

Ihor, commander of a Ukrainian reconnaissance team near the frontline city of Chasiv Yar, further elaborated on the relentless nature of the attacks, revealing that nearly every position in their area is targeted with gas grenades on a daily basis.

He explained that due to the entrenched positions of Ukrainian troops, conventional methods of assault such as artillery and drone strikes are rendered less effective, prompting the use of chemical agents by Russian forces as an alternative means of attack.

The gravity of these accusations has prompted international condemnation, with Chris Philp, former UK technology minister, warning of a robust response from Western powers should Russia persist in its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.

Philp also raised concerns about Kremlin-led disinformation campaigns aimed at fabricating a narrative suggesting Ukrainian readiness to utilise chemical weapons, potentially serving as a pretext for further chemical attacks by Russia.

Main Image: By Tech. Sgt. H. H. Deffner – http://www.defenseimagery.mil; VIRIN: DF-ST-92-07437, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4342874

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