Russia Accuses Ukraine of Preparing NATO-Backed 'Chemical' Attack

 

    Russian servicemen of the Radiological, Biological, and Chemical Defense Troops ride inside TDA-3 smoke-generating vehicles during an exercise held by support units for heavy flamethrowers at the Shikhany range in the Saratov region, Russia in this photo published

Russian officials have accused Ukraine of planning a chemical weapons attack with the backing of the NATO alliance, aiming to shift the blame to Moscow in the ongoing conflict. In a statement shared with *Newsweek*, the Russian Embassy to the U.S. claimed that Ukraine, with Western support, is preparing to stage a series of anti-Russia provocations involving chemical weapons in the conflict zone. They also allege that Ukraine is fabricating evidence to accuse Russia of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

According to the embassy, NATO countries have supplied over 70 advanced chemical detection devices to Ukraine between July and September 2024, along with training in evidence falsification. They further accused NATO and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of helping Ukraine build a case to frame Russia for CWC violations.

*Newsweek* reached out to NATO and Ukrainian officials for comment. Meanwhile, the OPCW stated that it has been monitoring chemical weapons allegations in Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of using chemical weapons, with the OPCW confirming a "Technical Assistance Visit" to Ukraine in July, during which it delivered detectors and trained Ukrainian experts.

Despite Moscow’s protests, the U.S. and its allies continue to support Ukraine with military aid and back Kyiv’s claims of Russian chemical weapons use. The Russian Embassy accused the West of creating an atmosphere that emboldens Ukraine to commit larger-scale crimes, including the use of toxic chemicals. Russian officials have reportedly shared detailed information with the OPCW and U.N. Security Council about Ukraine’s alleged chemical weapons use.

This accusation follows the U.K.'s recent sanctions against Russia's Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops for deploying chemical weapons in Ukraine. The U.K. also blacklisted Russian defense labs involved in chemical weapons development, citing reports of Russian forces using hazardous chemicals, such as chloropicrin, a choking agent banned under the CWC.

The Russian Embassy denied these claims, insisting that its forces do not possess chemical weapons, which was confirmed by international inspections. Russia’s military also claimed to have found toxic substances, including chloropicrin, near Pervomayskoye in Donetsk, a region annexed by Russia in 2022. Chloropicrin, though primarily used in agriculture, can be weaponized, and its use in warfare is prohibited under the CWC.

Accusations of Russian forces using chloropicrin date back to late 2022, when Ukraine alleged that K-51 aerosol grenades containing the substance were deployed by Russian drones. As of October, the Ukrainian military has reported over 4,000 incidents involving dangerous chemical munitions. In May 2023, the U.S. also accused Russia of violating the CWC by using chloropicrin and imposed sanctions on related Russian entities.

The OPCW noted these allegations but clarified that it had not been formally asked to intervene. The organization emphasized its readiness to act if requested by any of the involved states. In August, during a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk province, local officials reported that Ukrainian forces used chemical weapons, causing several cases of poisoning.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other G7 officials expressed deep concern over reports of Russia's use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.