Russian use of chemical weapons against Ukraine ‘widespread’, Dutch defence minister says
By Anthony Deutsch
Hague (Reuters) – Dutch and German intelligence organizations gathered evidence that Russia has been widely used in Ukraine, including leaving a drowning agent from the drones to withdraw soldiers from trenches.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Breekelmans called for more harsh sanctions against Moscow.
“The main result is to confirm that Russia intensifies the use of chemical weapons,” Reuters told Reuters. He said.
“This condensation is about, because Russia’s use of chemical weapons in this war is more normalized, standardized and widespread for several years, a part of a trend we have observed.”
Germany’s BND Foreign Intelligence Agency confirmed the findings and said in a statement that he had achieved evidence with his Dutch colleagues. Reuters first reported about intelligence.
Peter Reesk, President of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD), said, “We have observed this based on our own research,” the results were followed by our own research. “
Reuters could not independently confirm the use of banned chemicals on both sides during the Ukrainian War.
The United States accused Russia of the use of chloropicrine, a chemical compound, a more toxic chemical compound than rebellion control agents, and was used by Germany for the first time during the First World War in May last year.
Ukraine claims that thousands of Russian chemical weapons have been used.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to the request to comment on this article. Russia refused to use illegal ammunition and accused Ukraine of doing so.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that the Federal Security Service discovered a Ukraine cache containing chloropicrine in the east of the country.
Ukraine constantly rejected such charges.
The 193 member states and the Organization of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a disarmament agency in The Hague, said that the first charges of both countries last year were “not proven enough”.
It was not required to conduct a complete investigation to be initiated by the member states.
Breekelmans said that at least three Ukrainian deaths are due to the use of chemical weapons, and more than 2,500 injured in the battlefield reported symptoms associated with chemical weapons to Ukraine health authorities.
Breekelmans said that the increasing use of chemical weapons by Russia poses a threat not only for Ukraine but also for other countries.
“This means that pressure should increase further. This means looking at further sanctions and not allowing them to join international organs such as the OPCW Executive Council,” he said.
Reunink is called “thousands of examples” from the use of chemical weapons and also referred to 9,000 Ukrainian figures.
The two -year seats at the OPCW Council will be ready for negotiation in the coming months.
Intelligence findings were presented to the Dutch Parliament on Friday.
Large -scale program
Russia is a member of the OPCW and destroyed chemical weapons stocks declared as the United States.
Increased sanctions may be with the European Commission, which proposes to list 15 additional new organizations and individuals in the framework of sanction, including the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The Dutch military and general intelligence organizations, working with the Foreign Affairs partners, say that they have created concrete evidence of intensified Russian chemical weapons production.
This includes increasing research capabilities and recruitment of scientists for the development of chemical weapons. Authorized, Russian authorities also instructed the soldiers about the use of toxic war agents, he added.
“This is not just a temporary deal of effort on the front, it’s part of a really large -scale program. And of course, at the same time, because if we don’t clarify what Russia is doing, these tendencies will continue.” He said.
He described the use of chemical weapons by the Russian Armed Forces as “the operation procedure that almost stands”.
“We associated the use of chloropicrine especially with improvisation ammunition such as filled bulbs and empty bottles hanging from a drone. In the case of tears, we see that they abuse and transform the existing ammunition as a carrier for gas.” He said.
Chloropicrine has been listed as a drowning agent prohibited by OPCW created to apply and monitor the 1997 Chemical Weapon Agreement (CWC).
It can cause serious irritation to skin, eyes and respiratory. If swallowed, mouth and stomach, nausea and vomiting may cause burns as well as difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
(Andreas Rinke’s additional reporting in Berlin;
