In May, Russians used chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops 715 times
24 June, 2024 Russian RG-VO munition. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine In May 2024, the RCB troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recorded and documented 715 cases of Russian use of ammunition containing hazardous chemical compounds.
The press service of the Support Forces Command reported on this. In May, 271 more cases were reported than in April. The main means is dropping K-51 and RG-VO grenades from unmanned aerial vehicles.
A total of 2698 uses of hazardous chemicals by Russians were recorded between February 15, 2023 and May 24.
Russia dropped gas grenades on several entrances to a dugout then began hitting it with FPV Drones. Not an unusual tactic for them. pic.twitter.com/7y7FJp0Xi3 -- Andrew Perpetua (@AndrewPerpetua) June 24, 2024
During this period, 1,385 cases of treatment of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in medical institutions with symptoms of chemical exposure of varying severity were recorded, 215 of which were in May alone.
The use of chemical weapons or chemical riot control agents as a means of warfare is a violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. One of the main means of chemical warfare of Russians is CS (2-Chlorobenzalmonononitrile). The CS substance is a tear gas irritant often used by the police against violators at demonstrations.
The Russian invaders use a K-51 grenade with a chemical substance.
October, 2022. Photo credits: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Formally, CS is not a chemical weapon and, according to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, Use and Destruction of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction of January 13, 1993, is classified as a "chemical riot control agent." Article II, paragraph 7 of the Convention defines: "Chemical riot control agent" means: any non-scheduled chemical capable of rapidly causing sensory irritation or physical disturbance in the human body that disappears within a short period of time after exposure.
Therefore, the claim that riot control agents, in particular CS substances, belong to chemical weapons is false.
However, the use of this gas during hostilities is inadmissible in accordance with Article II, paragraph 5 of the Convention.