A soldier of the National Guard of Ukraine removes his gas mask to breathe fresh air in Kharkiv Oblast, February 29, 2024. (Stringer/Anadolu through Getty Images).
DONETSK OBLAST: A soldier in eastern Ukraine was prepared for the worst as a white smoke engulfed his trench.
A Russian drone dropped a gas bomb into the trench. This is a practice that is banned internationally in warfare and was used to suffocate Ukrainians who were hiding inside. The Ukrainians were forced out into the open and became targets for Russian artillery and drones.
Ihor recalled the February incident in Chasiv Yar where he held back Moscow’s troops as they advanced from the ruins Russian-occupied Bakhmut. He asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, like other soldiers who spoke with the Kyiv Independent.
In its grand offensive, Russia has been using chemical agents to occupy the final cities in the Donbas under Ukrainian control. The suffocation strategy is designed to eliminate entrenched personnel, and dampen morale among Ukrainian soldiers who have been retreating village by village across the east for almost a year.
The attack on Ihor happened as Russia increased its illegal use chemical agents during its full scale invasion launched two years ago. Over 4,000 cases were officially recorded, a dramatic increase from the 600 cases that had been reported in January, according to Ukrainian military.
The soldier reported that it was almost impossible to breathe in the trench. His lungs felt like they were on fire. Ihor was the only man without a gas mask. He had given his to an older comrade. The squad leader covered his mouth and nose with wet tissue, changing them every five minutes.
Ihor said that another Russian drone was hovering above, waiting for Ukrainians to emerge. Ihor said that it took about 15 minutes for the drone to fly away, which allowed Ihor’s team to move to a backup dugout.
Ihor said that if the lungs had collapsed after another five minutes in the trench with gas, they would have died.
The modern era of chemical warfare began during World War I, when trench warfare stalled and encouraged the use poisonous gas. From the Vietnam War to Syria Civil War, the practice was adopted in subsequent conflicts.
In the current conflict in Ukraine, which is often referred as the “first drone war”, Russia has used UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to drop gas grenades precisely into the trenches.
Ihor’s soldiers found waiting in the new hideout no less intimidating. The Russian fire was so relentless that it made it dangerous for Ihor and his soldiers to walk to the nearest evacuating point. They waited for a day before seeking help.
Ihor said, “I knew I wouldn’t wake up if I went to sleep.”
Ihor was carried by his comrades to the medics near Chasiv Yar because he could no longer walk. The gas attack has left a permanent scar on his health. He can’t jog for more than 10 meters before he runs out of breath.
Russia intensifies silent killer tactics
The testimony of the junior Sergeant from the 214th Separate Special Battalion OPFOR was one of over 4,000 cases that were officially recorded where Russia violated 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. This post-Cold-War treaty prohibits the use chemical weapons in warfare and requires countries to eliminate them. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a UN watchdog, says that tear gas “is considered chemical weapons if it is used as a weapon.”
The Russian use of gas attacks has increased. According to the Ukrainian military Support Forces, an arm of the army that inspects chemical warfare, in January 229 cases were reported, compared to 639 cases in June and 358 cases in July.
Ukrainian soldiers and officers interviewed confirmed that the tactic was effective, allowing Moscow occasionally to capture positions without destroying them.
Hamish de Bretton Gordon, former commanding officers of the U.K. Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment, said: “Your natural response is to get out of there, because you feel like you are dying.”
“And then the Russians follow it up immediately with fire and artillery,” said he, describing a modern era in which savage illegal weapons from the past are combined with cutting-edge killer machines that fly.
De Bretton-Gordon expects that the number of soldiers injured or killed in conventional weapons attacks after a gas attack will be “lots”. Concentrations of gas can last anywhere from a few seconds to up to 30 minutes.
Ukraine reports that 2,000 soldiers sought medical attention after the attacks, and as of July, at least two deaths were confirmed directly due to gas poisoning. Many more deaths and injuries could have been unrecorded as a result. For example, soldiers who were disoriented or forced into hiding may have been killed or injured.
The Kyiv Independent reported that Ukrainian Colonel Artem Valasiuk, from the Support Forces’ Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Command, said that Russian troops were using CS and CN tears gasses.
Vlasiuk said that “several” cases of Russian troops using chloropicrin and ammonia on the battlefield were documented, with the latter gas being the most hazardous. The U.S. accuses Russia of using chloropicrin. This substance is often used in agriculture, but was widely weaponized during World War I as a “vomiting gas”.
The U.S. Department of State stated in May that the use of riot control agents by Moscow as a form of warfare violated the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Department of State issued the statement as it imposed sanctions against “three Russian government entities that are associated with Russia’s programs for chemical and biological weapons and four Russian companies who have contributed to these entities.”
Ukrainian soldiers struggle to identify gas on the battlefield. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and eye and skin irritations.
Vladyslav Piholenko, 42, an infantryman with the 79th Separate Assault Brigade stationed in Donetsk Oblast, described his encounter with gas by saying “Everything is on fire.” “The skin, the nose, throat, and lungs are all burning.”
Ukraine has said that it provided “detailed, factual information” about Russia’s gross violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention to the OPCW.
In a press release, the Ukrainian delegation at the OPCW stated that Russia “has significantly increased the use” of chemical weapons and chemical riot-control agents and “relies heavily on” them on the battlefield. According to the Ukrainian military Support Forces (Ukraine’s military intelligence), Russia conducts three more gas attacks each month than at the start of the year.
Ukraine told OPCW that “in combination with other types weapons, these chemical substances constrain the actions of Ukrainian unit during offensive operations and compromise defense” According to the Ukrainian military, gas grenades of Soviet-era range from the commonly-used K-51 and RG-Vo to RGR and RG-Vo have been found in the battlefield.
OPCW stated in May that Russia has accused Ukraine of using chemical weapons. However, “the information provided by both sides to the Organization, as well as the information available to Secretariat is not sufficiently substantiated.”
Vlasiuk, who denied that Ukraine used chemical weapons, said that the tear gas Russia used is “a dangerous chemical substance which affects the human body and could be used by the enemies for their own purposes in order to gain an edge on the field.”
Vlasiuk continued, “The purpose of this is to disable soldiers temporarily so that, roughly speaking, they can then enter my position to take prisoners of war or, as Russian troops do often now, to destroy the personnel at the position.”
Soldiers’ ignorance when facing a’silent attacker’
Even seasoned comrades can panic when gas is used.
Officers and infantrymen felt unprepared for the Russian gas attacks. The majority of the interviewees on the front said that they were not given a modern mask and questioned the effectiveness of those issued by the army.
Infantrymen also argue that it’s more practical to bring extra water and bullets instead of a gasmas that weighs around a kilo, which may or may not prove useful but adds weight to gear.
Vasyl, a Donetsk Oblast infantryman from the 53rd Separated Mechanized Brigade, asked: “What are we going to do with gas masks?”
Vasyl dismissed gas attacks in comparison to the threat posed by drones with first-person view (FPV), aerial bombs guided by KAB, artillery and mortars.
Vasyl, a young man from a frontline town, said that gas masks were just extra weight. “We haven’t encountered it yet so we don’t need it.”
Lack of preparation seems to be widespread. Multiple soldiers reported incidents where only a few gas masks were available to cover around 20 people in a trench during an attack. Interviewees claimed they experienced mild symptoms because their positions were in a field and the gas was quickly carried by the wind.
Gas attacks are more dangerous when they are used in small, enclosed areas, such as trenches or dugouts. According to soldiers, Russia throws gas grenades in a series, waiting for the previous one to wear off before throwing the next.
Sergeant Vyacheslav of the 116th Territorial Defense Brigade said that the most terrifying part of gas attacks is a comrade – or himself – possibly panicking.
Vyacheslav and his comrades who are defending Vuhledar agreed to lay down on the ground together and put their rifles away near the entrance of the dugout to avoid a situation where someone might shoot themselves or run away. Despite the high risk of gas attacks in their area of deployment in Donetsk Oblast none of them have purchased a mask. He said that he would save the money to give to his family. Western-made masks cost about a hundred dollars.
According to de Bretton Gordon, NATO expert in chemical warfare, knowing what to do and having the proper equipment is crucial to avoiding panic at positions.
“It is all about knowledge. If you know what to expect, you are less likely to be a victim,” de Bretton Gordon said.
“It is a lack in equipment, masks, and training that creates panic, which the Russians want.”
Ukrainian soldiers claim they cannot tell if chemical agents have been deployed by the sound. They can tell if they feel symptoms or see colored smoke.
“The impact and noise of artillery and tanks is incredible, while gas is a silent kill,” de Bretton Gordon said. “It is the noise on the battlefield that terrifies the people.” If there is no noise, then you don’t need to worry.
Vlasiuk from the Support Forces said that soldiers who do not know how tear gas is used “can react in a manner that makes it worse.”
“They can rub their eyelids, they can spread fear to neighboring positions. They can leave their position, showing your silhouette to the enemies, and it will kill them in one way or another, with aimed fire,” added he.
Dan Kaszeta is a chemical weapons specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in London. He served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps.
Is there enough gas in Ukraine?
Vlasiuk stated that Ukraine has received less than 100,000 modern combat gasmasks from Western allies. The officer said that despite many soldiers saying they do not have a modern mask, there were still 10-15% of the masks left in the stock as of July. He added that they are waiting for local officers to fill out requests so they can be sent.
The U.S. Department of Defense stated that it provided “a large number of gas masks, other protective equipment, and hazmat suits to help protect against possible chemical and biological threats coming from Russia.”
Vlasiuk denied the Soviet-era masks were widespread, saying his team was “constantly replenishing modern masks” and that Ukraine no long distributed its Soviet gear.
Vlasiuk, when asked why soldiers claim they don’t possess a modern gas-mask, said that “this is more an organizational work”, at the level local commanders, who are responsible for preparing and equipping troops for what lies ahead.
“Where will you fire if you can’t breathe calmly and you are constantly coughing?” Vlasiuk asked, adding that “it is important to work on the level of squad and platoon leaders” to take gas-masks as seriously as flak jackets and helmets.
De Bretton Gordon said that the Ukrainian army requires 300,000 masks of modern design, which are lighter and better quality to keep out CS gas for a long time. Some soldiers claimed to have purchased quality masks, or received them as gifts from volunteers.
Gas masks are a must in Russia’s Donbas advance
“There’s a stalemate that’s been going on for so long, they’re looking for a way to break it,” de Bretton Gordon said in reference to Russia’s increasing use of chemical weapons. “It is exactly the same as trench war in World War I.”
“This is an old World War I tactic which is incredibly effective. It’s effective because people in World War I didn’t wear gas masks. “As soon as people had gas masks during World War I, the effect was nullified,” said he.
De Bretton Gordon said, citing members from the Ukrainian army and government that he believes Kyiv recently requested gas masks to London and other allies. The Kyiv Independent was unable to verify the information because both the U.K. Defense Ministry as well as the U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment due to operational reasons. The U.K. Defense Ministry informed the Kyiv Independent it had provided more than 8,500 to Ukraine ever since the invasion began.
According to several higher-ranking officers, the soldiers are more vulnerable because they lack time for preparation. In an ideal situation soldiers would have already developed muscle memory for putting on gasmass during recruitment and have time to prepare during breaks. In reality, training is often inadequate, and recruits often arrive not knowing how they should shoot. Interviewees said that soldiers who have been serving longer are too tired to learn about gas during their breaks.
RUSI expert Kaszeta stated that what is more dangerous is when a burning gas tear falls near plastics and rubbers and modern synthetic materials, catches fire, and releases “a whole mixture of really dangerous stuff.”
Oleksandr is a member of the 17th Tank Brigade and was forced to flee a position near Chasiv Yar after a diesel generator caught fire when Russian troops fired a gas grenade. The old Soviet-era gas mask did not help. He said that the unknown chemical agent mixed with diesel in the air was suffocating.
The official death toll from gas is only two, but it could be much higher. It can be difficult to retrieve bodies for forensic analysis, especially when troops are surrounded.
Mykhailo, captain of a mechanized unit deployed on the Pokrovsk Front, described a situation in which his group of soldiers was in a bunker, surrounded by Russian troops. He said that one of the three men at the position died when his heart stopped after a gas attack. The body could not be removed to be examined.
Mykhailo said, “The guys sat down for two days after the death of a young soldier in his 40s.”
Mykhailo reported that his soldiers were subjected to six gas attacks per day, with two to three attacks occurring every hour.
Mykhailo soldiers were attacked with a combination gas grenades, and FPV drones. Eyewitnesses, as well as victims, have stated that soldiers with previous health issues or who are older may be more likely to suffer serious consequences. The Ukrainian army is dominated by men older than 40.
Former British Colonel de Bretton Gordon said that the West must hold Russia responsible for war crimes, and help Ukraine by providing countermeasures such as modern gas masks.
“(Russian soldiers) are looking for ways to break through, and this year gas was in it,” de Bretton Gordon said. “Whenever the enemy uses new methods of fighting, they are effective until you find countermeasures.”
“The international community must call them out for their actions, as (Russia) could escalate to more lethal chemical weapons.”
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Note from the Author:
Hello, I am Asami Terajima the author of this post.
Thank you for reading. I am happy to finally see the article published after months of hard work on the eastern front in Kyiv and across the country. It’s easy for soldiers on the front lines to dismiss the threat from gas attacks, especially when they are constantly bombarded by FPV-drones, artillery, and KAB-guided aerial weapons. But I felt this was an important topic. To save more lives, it was necessary to raise the issue of the unpreparedness by the Ukrainian military for gas attacks.
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Asami Terajima works as a reporter for the Kyiv Independent. She was a business journalist for the Kyiv Post, focusing on international energy, infrastructure and investment, as well as trade. Terajima, originally from Japan, moved to Ukraine as a child and earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration. She was awarded the George Weidenfeld Prize and the Thomson Reuters Foundation Kurt Schork International Journalism Award 2023 in the Local Reporter category. She was also included in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: young and bold” 2023 list for emerging media makers in Ukraine. Read more
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