Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said the findings, sent to parliament on Friday, showed Moscow has turned chemical warfare into a “normalized, standardized and widespread” tactic and should face stronger sanctions and exclusion from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) executive council.
Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency confirmed the joint assessment, which the head of Dutch military intelligence, Peter Reesink, said was based on his service’s own investigations.
The agencies cited “thousands” of incidents; Ukraine puts the figure at about 9,000. At least three deaths and more than 2,500 injuries with chemical-exposure symptoms have been recorded by Ukrainian health authorities, Brekelmans added.
Russia, an OPCW member that has declared its Cold-War stockpiles destroyed, denies using illegal munitions and accuses Kyiv of doing so. This week, foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said security forces had found Ukrainian devices containing chloropicrin. Ukraine rejects the claim.
The United States first alleged Russian use of chloropicrin – a World War One choking agent banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention – in May 2024.
The OPCW has deemed evidence from both sides “insufficiently substantiated” and has not been asked by member states to open a full inquiry.
Reesink said intelligence showed a “large-scale program” behind the frontline attacks, including expanded research, recruitment of scientists and formal instructions to troops. Improvised munitions range from gas-filled light bulbs to repurposed tear-gas shells, he said.
Brekelmans warned the trend threatens other countries if unchecked. “We must increase pressure,” he said, noting the European Commission has proposed sanctioning 15 more entities and individuals over the suspected use of chemical weapons.
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Source: Reuters, Politico, Dutch Ministry of Defense