After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 11,000 cases of the use of chemical substances by Russian forces have been registered, in 3,000 cases Ukrainian servicemen were exposed to the chemicals, Ukrinform reported, citing representatives of the Directorate for Protection against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats at the Command of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, BTA reported.
"At the moment, we have about 11,000 documented cases of the enemy's use of dangerous chemical substances, including tear gas K-51 and RGVO, as well as other modified and improvised explosive devices filled with dangerous chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia," Colonel Artem Vlasyuk, head of the department, told a press conference for the media. "Civil Defense" of the Directorate for Protection against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats.
According to him, the enemy most often resorts to chemical agents in areas where he tries to break through Ukrainian defenses.
"The enemy usually increases the use of dangerous chemical substances in sectors where offensive and assault operations are being conducted – where it is most difficult for him to break through our lines. These substances are used to "smoke" our defenders from positions, trenches and shelters, which facilitates the clearing of these positions," Vlasyuk said.
He noted that nearly 3,000 Ukrainian servicemen have already been exposed to chemical agents. "There are no confirmed deaths yet, as each case still needs to be verified. "Any incident of injury or poisoning related to chemical agents must undergo a multi-factorial verification, which includes questioning the serviceman, examining his equipment and assessing the place where he performed his mission," Vlasyuk added.
For his part, the acting commander of the forces for protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats and head of the directorate Igor Diak noted that the actual number of affected servicemen may be more than 3,000. "These are only officially documented cases – those that our trained units were able to identify, sometimes jointly with medical personnel and law enforcement agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine, which initiated criminal proceedings for violations of the rules of war. In some cases, it is not possible to evacuate the victim in time to confirm signs of exposure to chemical substances. That is why we only indicate officially confirmed and documented figures," he stressed.
In Ukraine, September 15 is celebrated as the Day of Specialists in Defense against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats, Ukrinform notes.
So far, there has been no reaction from the Russian side. The claims of both sides in the conflict have not been independently verified.