Dutch And German Intelligence Says Russia Expands Use Of Chemical Weapons In Ukraine

JAKARTA - Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of Russia's widespread use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping the strangulation of drones to get soldiers out of the ditch so they can be shot, they said on Friday.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.

"The main conclusion is, we can confirm that Russia is intensifying the use of its chemical weapons," he told Reuters.

"This intensification is worrying because it is part of the trend we have observed over the past few years, where the use of chemical weapons by Russia in this war has become more normal, standardized, and widespread," he explained.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND confirmed the findings, saying in a statement they had obtained the evidence along with partners from the Netherlands. Reuters was the first to report the intelligence.

Meanwhile, Head of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD) Peter Reesink, said the conclusion followed "our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations."

Reuters has not been able to independently verify the use of banned chemicals by both sides in Ukraine's war.

At least three deaths in Ukraine were linked to the use of chemical weapons, Defense Minister said Brekelmans, while more than 2,500 people injured on the battlefield reported symptoms of chemical weapons-related symptoms to Ukrainian health authorities.

Russia's increasing use of chemical weapons poses a threat not only to Ukraine but also to other countries, he added.

"We have to increase the pressure. This means considering more sanctions and in particular not allowing them (Russia) to participate in international agencies such as the OPCW Executive Council (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons)," he said.

The United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrine, a more toxic chemical compound than a riot control agent and was first used by Germany during the First World War, in May last year. Ukraine accuses Russia of using thousands of examples of chemical weapons.

Russia's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the article.

Russia itself has denied using illegal ammunition and accused Ukraine of doing so.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday the Federal Security Service found a warehouse for Ukrainian explosives in the eastern part of the country containing chloropicrines.

Ukraine has consistently denied the allegations. The Hague-based OPCW, which consists of 193 countries, last year, said the initial accusations made by the two countries against each other were "insufficient".

The OPCW has not yet been asked to carry out a full investigation, which member states must begin with.

Meanwhile, Reesink spoke of "a thousand examples" of the use of chemical weapons, while also citing Ukraine's figure of 9,000.

The intelligence results were delivered in a letter to the Dutch Parliament on Friday.

Russia is a member of the OPCW and, like the United States, has destroyed the supply of chemical weapons it states.

The Dutch military and general intelligence agencies, in collaboration with foreign partners, said they had found concrete evidence of increased production of Russian chemical weapons.

"This includes improving the research and recruitment capabilities of scientists for the development of chemical weapons," Reesink said.

He added that Russian officials had given instructions to soldiers about the use of toxic war agents.

"This is not just a temporary improvement on the front lines; it's really part of a large-scale program. And that's, of course, also worrying because if we don't clarify and publish what Russia is doing, it's likely that this trend will continue," Reesink explained.

He called the use of chemical weapons by the Russian armed forces a "almost standalone operating procedure."

"We specifically attribute the use of chloroprine to homemade ammunition, such as filled light balls and empty bottles suspended on unmanned aircraft. Regarding tear gas, we see them also abusing and changing existing ammunition to act as gas carriers," he said.

It is known that Chloroprin is listed as a strangulation substance prohibited by the OPCW, which was created to implement and monitor compliance with the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

This substance can cause severe irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract. If ingested, this substance can cause burns to the mouth and abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.