Around 400 cases a month: the military reports an increase in chemical attacks by Russia

Since the start of the full-scale war, over 13,000 instances of Russian forces using hazardous chemical substances against the Ukrainian Defence Forces have been recorded.

This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The agency notes that the Russian army systematically uses irritant chemicals alongside conventional weapons. In March 2026 alone, around 400 such incidents were recorded.

The highest intensity of use was observed in April 2025 — 894 cases were documented during that month.

An analysis by the Ukrainian Armed Forces Support Forces indicates that in 2024, the peak in use occurred in May and June — over 700 and 600 cases respectively. In 2025, a similar trend persisted: over 800 and 700 cases in the same months. With this in mind, the military forecasts a further increase in the number of such attacks.

Ukrainian servicemen are urged not to neglect personal protective equipment, in particular gas masks to protect the respiratory system.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine warn of an increase in the use of chemical agents by the Russians. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Armed Forces of Ukraine warn of an increase in the use of chemical agents by the Russians. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

As noted by the General Staff, Russian troops are using K-51 and RG-Vo gas grenades, as well as homemade containers containing CS and CN agents. The primary method of deployment involves dropping them from drones onto Ukrainian military positions to force troops out of cover and gain a tactical advantage.

Under international law, the use of such substances as a means of warfare is prohibited. Although in peacetime CS and CN may be used by law enforcement agencies to control mass disturbances, this is illegal in combat conditions.

These substances are not lethal chemical warfare agents, but they pose a serious danger: they cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, coughing, suffocation, disorientation and temporary loss of combat effectiveness. In some cases, the symptoms may indicate the use of other or mixed chemical agents.

In May, the Council of the EU imposed sanctions against a number of units of the Russian Armed Forces for the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine. Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing in Ukraine aimed at bringing the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation and those involved to justice.

It should be noted that soil contamination has been recorded across Ukraine as a result of Russian shelling. Significant exceedances of harmful substance concentrations in the soil have also been found in the Mykolaiv region.