Ukraine has officially requested that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague open an investigation into Russia's alleged use of banned toxic munitions against Ukrainian forces, Reuters reports, quoted by News.bg.
The request was submitted to the organization's leadership and comes after Dutch and German intelligence services announced that they had evidence of widespread use of illegal weapons by Russia on the front line. In 2018, the OPCW had already established a team to investigate similar cases in Syria, which found that Syrian government forces and fighters from the "Islamic State" used chemical weapons during the civil war.
In May last year, the United States first accused Russia of using chloropicrin, a highly toxic chemical compound used in World War I.
The 193-nation OPCW said at the time that initial mutual accusations between Russia and Ukraine were “insufficiently substantiated”. Both Moscow and Kiev deny using chemical weapons in the conflict, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
In its new request, Kiev is demanding that the organization's director general take action to establish an independent and impartial mechanism to investigate cases of alleged use of chemical weapons. It is proposed that the mechanism be empowered to “collect additional evidence and identify the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such actions“.
The request coincided with the start of four days of closed-door meetings of the OPCW Executive Council, composed of 41 member states. So far, the organization has not issued an official position on the Ukrainian insistence.
According to the Dutch military intelligence service, at least three deaths of Ukrainians are linked to the use of chemical weapons, and over 2,500 fighters have reported symptoms typical of chemical poisoning.
Meanwhile, Britain has imposed sanctions on two Russian individuals and one Russian organization as part of its regime against the use of chemical weapons. A move that London presents as part of its efforts to punish Moscow for its aggression in Ukraine.