- Dutch military intelligence says Russia uses banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
- Evidence points to ‘large-scale program’ of producing and using choking agent, officials say
- Dutch defence minister urges tougher sanctions
- Chemical weapons agency not yet asked to investigate
- Russia has denied similar accusations in the past
THE HAGUE, July 4 (Reuters) – Dutch and German intelligence agencies have gathered evidence of widespread Russian use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, they said on Friday.
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
“This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now, where Russia’s use of chemical weapons in this war is becoming more normalized, standardized, and widespread.”
Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency confirmed the findings, saying in a statement that it had obtained the evidence alongside its Dutch counterparts. Reuters was first to report on the intelligence.
The head of the Dutch Military Intelligence Agency (MIVD), Peter Reesink, said the conclusions followed “our own independent intelligence, so we have observed it ourselves based on our own investigations.”