Russia has used chemical substances against the Ukrainian Defense Forces over 13.5 thousand times since the start of the war - General Staff
Kyiv • UNN
Over 13.5 thousand Russian chemical attacks have been recorded since the start of the war. In May alone, the enemy used prohibited substances against the AFU 237 times.
During May, Russian occupiers used dangerous chemical substances against Ukraine 237 times. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale aggression, over 13.5 thousand cases of the use of dangerous chemical substances have been recorded. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to UNN.
Over 13.5 thousand cases of the use of dangerous chemical substances against the Defense Forces of Ukraine have been recorded since the beginning of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. Russian troops systematically use dangerous chemical substances of an irritant nature alongside traditional means of fire destruction. In May 2026 alone, 237 such cases were recorded
The enemy uses gas grenades of the K-51 and RG-Vo types, as well as improvised containers equipped with CS and CN substances. The main delivery method is drops from unmanned aerial vehicles. Most often, such means are used against the positions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine in order to force personnel to leave shelters and gain a tactical advantage in the directions of concentration of main efforts.
Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection units of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carry out the recording of the use of dangerous chemical substances, and the samples taken are handed over for forensic investigations. The highest intensity of use was recorded in April 2025 - 894 cases
According to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the use of such substances as a method of warfare is prohibited. CS and CN substances may be used by law enforcement agencies in peacetime exclusively for riot control under strict restrictions; however, their use in combat conditions is illegal.
The substances do not belong to lethal chemical warfare agents, but they pose a danger: they cause severe irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, tearing, coughing, suffocation, disorientation, and temporary loss of combat capability. In some cases, symptoms may indicate the use of other chemical irritants or mixtures of unidentified composition.
Analysis of the dynamics indicates an increase in the intensity of the use of such substances during the spring-summer period. In 2024, the peak occurred in May and June (over 700 and 600 cases respectively), in 2025 — in May and June (over 800 and 700). Given this trend, a further increase in the number of such attacks is predicted. In this regard, military personnel should categorically not neglect personal protective equipment, primarily gas masks for respiratory protection
As a reminder
During January 2026, Russian occupiers 2026-roku-henshtab">used dangerous chemical substances against Ukraine 224 times. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale aggression, over 12 thousand cases of the use of dangerous chemical substances have been recorded.