Ukraine has joined the Joint Statement on behalf of 59 states in support of the strict implementation of the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, in particular regarding the prohibition of the use of riot control chemicals as a method of warfare.

As reported on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Friday, the statement was announced during the 29th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

"We fully share the position that the use of chemical weapons and riot control chemicals as a method of warfare constitutes a gross violation of international law and threatens the achievement of a world free of chemical weapons. We highly appreciate the work of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and partner states aimed at proving the facts of the use of riot control chemicals by the Russian Federation as a means of waging war against Ukraine," the message reads.

The Foreign Ministry noted that a recent report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed the presence of chemical elements related to riot control and regularly used by the Russian Federation on the front line in violation of the requirements of the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

"The joint statement draws special attention to these violations — numerous reports about the use of riot control chemicals and other toxic chemicals by the Russian Federation on the front line in Ukraine. Since February 2023, the Ukrainian side has documented 4,950 cases of the use by the Russian Federation of ammunition containing dangerous chemicals," the report says.

In a joint statement, the participating states confirm their readiness to support the strengthening of the capacity of the OPCW Technical Secretariat to assist Ukraine and respond to the use of chemical weapons during the war against Ukraine.