**UN Watchdog Confirms Use of Tear Gas in Ukraine**
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has confirmed that a riot control agent known as CS has been used in Ukraine. This comes as evidence mounts that Russia has stepped up its use of chemical weapons in recent months.
**Russia’s Chemical Warfare**
Russian forces have been using tear gas, also known as CS, to force Ukrainian soldiers out of their dugouts and trenches. This makes them easy targets for drone or artillery attacks. The OPCW said that samples from a September incident at a trench “contained the riot control agent 2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile, known as CS.”
**Concerns Over Unidentified Gas**
Ukrainian military officials have expressed concerns over unidentified gas being used against their soldiers. With limited access to complex detectors, it’s difficult for them to identify the chemicals used by Russian troops. This has left Ukrainian soldiers vulnerable to chemical attacks.
**Sanctions and Reactions**
The U.S. and UK have confirmed Russia’s deployment of chemical weapons against Ukrainian soldiers, slapping sanctions on Russian military units and companies involved. The OPCW Director-General expressed grave concern over the findings, stressing that any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and violates international law.
**Impact on Ukrainian Soldiers**
At least three Ukrainian soldiers have died from Russia’s gas attacks, and almost 2,100 soldiers sought medical care after such incidents. Many more cases may have gone unrecorded. Ukrainian soldiers have expressed concerns over their lack of preparedness to face chemical warfare, citing inadequate gas masks and a downplayed threat from gas attacks compared to conventional arms.
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