Ukraine presented evidence in The Hague regarding Russia’s use of chemical weapons

This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

"On March 4-5 in The Hague (Netherlands), during the 108th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Ukrainian delegation presented evidence of systematic violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) by Russia," the ministry stated.

The head of the delegation, Deputy Director of the Department of International Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Kasyanov, emphasized the increase in incidents of Russia using hazardous chemical substances, including riot control agents, as methods of warfare against Ukraine.

"This grossly violates Article 1 of the CWC. According to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, over 6,900 cases of the use of chemical-laden munitions were recorded from February 2023 to February 2025. In the period from December 24, 2024, to January 24, 2025, 844 such cases were recorded. Additionally, there were over 2,100 reports from military personnel to medical facilities with symptoms of chemical exposure, including three fatal cases," the MFA added.

The Ukrainian delegation drew attention to the second OPCW report, which confirmed that the evidence provided by Ukraine in the form of 5 Russian RG-Vo gas grenades and corresponding soil and grass samples contained the substance CS, which is included in riot control agents.

It was particularly emphasized that, according to competent Ukrainian authorities, the mentioned RG-Vo grenades are manufactured at Russian enterprises, specifically at the Scientific Center of Applied Chemistry and the Scientific-Practical Institute of Applied Chemistry.

Kasyanov also stressed the importance of further isolating Russia on the international stage and preventing its membership in the OPCW Executive Council for the third consecutive year.

"Given Ukraine’s active position in the OPCW, exposure of Russia’s war crimes related to the use of chemical weapons against our state, and Ukraine’s leading role in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, by the order of Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine has again nominated itself for membership in the OPCW Executive Council for the period 2026-2028," the ministry noted.

The MFA added that war crimes and crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations and urged the international community to demonstrate unity in confronting the aggressor and to make efforts to hold Russia accountable for violating the Convention.