• Dutch and German intelligence agencies confirm increased Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
• Evidence includes the deployment of chloropicrin, a banned choking agent.
• Calls for tougher sanctions and military support for Ukraine intensify.

Intelligence agencies from the Netherlands and Germany have reported that Russia is significantly escalating its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, particularly the choking agent chloropicrin. Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated this trend reflects a “normalization” of chemical warfare tactics in the ongoing conflict. Their findings suggest that Russia is systematically employing these banned weapons not only against Ukrainian soldiers but also poses dangers to EU security as a whole, according to Reuters, Newsweek, aa, Al Jazeera, and CBS News.

Recent reports indicate that Russian military authorities have employed chloropicrin through various means, including its deployment via drones to flush Ukrainian soldiers out of their defensive positions. This tactic leads to significant casualties as they become vulnerable to gunfire after exposure to the gas, described by agencies as part of a systematic military strategy, according to Al Jazeera and CBS News.

The report from Dutch and German intelligence highlights concerns that the Russian military's use of such chemical agents is not isolated but part of a broader strategy to integrate chemical warfare into their combat practices. Defence Minister Brekelmans emphasizes the urgent need for additional sanctions against Russia, underscoring that this trend threatens not only Ukraine's sovereignty but also European peace overall, according to Reuters and aa.

Both the Dutch Military Intelligence and German BND assert that the use of these chemical agents has now become a “standardized” practice, which not only violates international treaties against chemical warfare but also dramatically increases the risks of escalation in the broader European context. The agencies reported thousands of incidents involving these chemical agents since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, fostering fears of a more extensive conflict, as noted by Newsweek and Al Jazeera.