Ukrainian authorities report that Russian forces have used hazardous chemical substances nearly 12,000 times since the start of the full-scale invasion, including 6,540 incidents recorded in 2025 alone.
According to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian troops have regularly deployed specialized munitions filled with irritant chemicals, primarily CS- and CN-based gas grenades of the K-51 and RG-VO types.
These devices are normally classified as riot-control tools, intended for law enforcement in peacetime, but their use on the battlefield violates international law.
Ukrainian forces document incidents and collect forensic samples
Units of Ukraine’s Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection Forces have been documenting these incidents and collecting samples for forensic analysis.
The substances cause intense irritation to eyes and respiratory tracts, coughing, choking, disorientation, and temporary loss of combat effectiveness. While not classified as lethal chemical weapons, their deployment in combat conditions poses serious risks to the life and health of Ukrainian service members.
April 2025 recorded highest number of attacks
The General Staff noted that the highest number of chemical irritant attacks in 2025 occurred in April, when 894 incidents were documented against Ukrainian forces.
The use of such substances in warfare breaches the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of chemical agents in armed conflict.
Ukrainian authorities emphasize that these attacks are part of Russia’s broader pattern of unlawful conduct in the war and continue to monitor and document each case.
