The Death of General Igor Kirillov
A bomb explosion in Moscow on December 17, 2024, killed Russian General Igor Kirillov. Ukraine claimed responsibility for the assassination, an event that drew significant international attention. This incident occurs against the backdrop of an ongoing and severe threat in Ukraine, where Russian forces have been documented using chemical agents over 9,000 times since the full-scale invasion began.
Deployment of Chemical Agents
Ukrainian military data indicates that in the past year alone, there were 6,540 recorded instances of prohibited chemical use. Russian troops primarily employ:
- Grenades containing CS and CN tear gases
- Chloropicrin, a choking agent first used during World War I
These chemical grenades are often dropped by drones, a tactic that makes detection and defense against such attacks particularly difficult. The use of these substances, while not classified as 'classical' chemical warfare, represents a serious breach of international norms and a severe hazard to troops.
The Chemical Weapons Convention, established in 1993, aimed to eliminate such dangerous arsenals. However, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed the presence of toxic agents in samples collected from the front lines. This is alarming given that Moscow reported the destruction of its chemical weapon stockpiles in 2017. Furthermore, the prior poisonings of Sergei Skripal and Alexei Navalny with the Novichok nerve agent suggest ongoing Russian research and potential capability in the chemical weapons domain.
Former MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger noted: 'This is being watched very closely. At the moment, the Russians don't seem to have gone back to using classical chemical weapons—we haven't seen them cross that line.'
General Sir Richard Barrons also remarked: 'It would be foolish to assume they have stopped researching chemical weapons.'
Consequently, the situation regarding chemical weapon use in Ukraine remains critical. The international community continues to monitor developments, including Russia's response following the death of General Kirillov. With confirmed use of toxic agents and the active deployment of banned chemicals, it is imperative for international bodies to sustain monitoring, respond to these violations, and support efforts to investigate all alleged chemical weapons incidents in Ukraine.