Ukraine has requested the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to investigate allegations concerning Russia’s use of banned chemical munitions against Ukrainian forces, formally submitting a request for the inquiry to relevant authorities within the organization.
This move follows reports from Dutch and German intelligence agencies, which claim to have evidence of Russia’s extensive use of illegal weaponry along the frontline.
In a statement to the organization’s executive council, OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias mentioned that, given the recurring reports of dangerous chemical substances being deployed, his office will intensify its monitoring of events along the conflict line between Russia and Ukraine.
The organization had previously established a similar investigative team in 2018 to look into claims of chemical weapons use in Syria.
Investigators concluded that Syrian government forces and fighters from the Islamic State used prohibited chemical weapons during the civil war that erupted in March 2011.
In May of last year, the United States accused Russia for the first time of deploying chloropicrin, a chemical compound that is more toxic than substances typically used for riot control and was first utilized by Germany in World War I.
The disarmament organization, based in The Hague and comprising 193 member states, stated last year that the initial allegations exchanged by the warring parties lacked sufficient supporting evidence.
Both sides have denied using chemical weapons in a conflict that intensified when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
In the request, which was obtained by Reuters, Ukraine calls upon the OPCW Director-General to establish an independent and neutral mechanism to investigate the reported use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The request urges that the mechanism be empowered “to gather additional evidence and identify the perpetrators, organizers, and sponsors of such use.” Additionally, the Dutch military intelligence service reported that at least three Ukrainian fatalities are linked to chemical weapon usage, while over 2,500 individuals injured on the battlefield have reported symptoms associated with chemical exposure to Ukrainian health authorities.