Russian occupation forces are increasingly using chemical weapons in Ukraine, continuing obvious violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which the Russian Federation is a party, a report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted on January 25.

"Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Center for the Research of Trophy and Prospective Weapons and Military Equipment of the Ukrainian General Staff Captain Andriy Rudyk stated on January 25 that Russian forces began using RG-VO grenades with chloroacetophenone, a type of tear gas used for riot control (also known as a Riot Control Agent [RCA]), in December 2023 and that Ukrainian officials observed 81 instances of Russian forces using the RG-VO grenades in December 2023. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on January 13 that Russian forces began using a new type of special gas grenade containing CS gas (2-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile – also an RCA) on December 14 and that Russian forces have used chemical weapons at least 51 times in the first two weeks of 2024," the report notes.

The ISW emphasizes that the Russian Federation is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the use of chloroacetophenone as a method of warfare.

"The Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade previously acknowledged on December 22 that the brigade deliberately uses chemical weapons by dropping K-51 grenades with CS gas from drones onto Ukrainian positions near Krynky in the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast," analysts said.