On March 9, 2024, 15 cases of the use of chemical weapons by Russians were recorded.

Almost all of them occurred in the Zaporizhzhia direction, as reported by the spokesman for the Tavria operational-strategic group, Captain Dmytro Lykhoviy.

“Russians are increasingly using ammunition with a poisonous substance. In total, over the past week, grenades with the poisonous substance Chloropicrin have been dropped from drones almost 50 times. When the enemy cannot take our trenches with a classic artillery strike, or a discharge from a drone, he uses such tear gas,” Lykhoviy said.

Militarnyi recently reported that since the start of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the Russians have attacked the Defense Forces 1,068 times using chemical weapons.

Mobile groups and other units of the group of forces and support means recorded 1068 facts on the use of tear irritants, which are equipped with poisonous chemicals.

These substances are prohibited for warfare under Article 1, Paragraph 5, of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Of these, only in February 2024—250 cases, including 244 cases of VOG, 1 case of gas, and 5 cases of other ammunition with a chemical substance.

NBC reconnaissance units take samples of soil, plants, and fragments of ammunition and send them for analysis.

Within the framework of open criminal proceedings, documented cases of the use of hazardous chemicals are provided to the investigating authorities for investigative actions.

Use of chemical weapons in Zaporizhzhia direction

On February 9, 2024 Militarnyi reported that in the operating area of ​Tavria operational-strategic group, the Russian invaders intensified chemical attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian military.

It was reported that on February 8, Russians dropped six rounds of ammunition from the UAV with the tear-choking effect of Chloropicrin.

It is known that most often, Russians use K-51 gas grenades.

K-51

K-51 is a special gas grenade with a solid plastic body and a metal bottom. It was developed in the late 1970s in the Soviet Union. The sealed body of the grenade was filled with a powdered, highly irritating substance of non-lethal action, Chloropicrin.

The effect of K-51 compared to grenades to disperse demonstrators is several times higher since it was created for military and special services.

The substance inside a grenade causes irritation of the mucous membranes. This leads to suffocation with a cough and disorientation due to victim’s eye irritation.

Last month, Militarnyi also reported that the invaders began to use gas grenades against Ukrainian defenders with a substance prohibited, according to the Geneva Convention.

The chemical munition of the new sample is distinguished by its design and filling – it uses a chemical agent with an irritant effect, Phenacyl chloride.

This substance is prohibited for use as a chemical warfare agent in accordance with the Geneva Protocol, approved by the UN General Assembly in 1969 based on its use during the Vietnam War.