In February 2026, nearly 400 incidents were recorded in which Russian forces used special munitions equipped with irritant chemical agents, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Kravchuk, head of the Communications Department of the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported.
Alongside conventional weapons, the enemy employed special munitions loaded with irritant chemical agents, including K-51 and RG-VO gas grenades containing CS and CN chemicals. These grenades are classified as riot-control agents.
Units of the radiation, chemical, and biological defense forces of the Support Forces documented nearly 400 such incidents during February. Selected samples of the substances are sent for forensic examination.
CS and CN agents are officially used by law enforcement in several countries solely in peacetime for policing purposes, including controlling mass unrest, under strict compliance with established norms and restrictions. These substances are not classified as lethal chemical warfare agents, nor are they aggressive solvents for equipment or personal protective gear, and they are not intended to cause immediate fatal harm to personnel.
Exposure to these agents can cause severe irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, tearing, coughing, choking, disorientation, and temporary incapacitation. In some cases, the symptoms reported by military personnel may partially overlap with the effects of other chemical irritants, including riot-control agents or mixtures of unidentified composition.
According to paragraph 5 of Article 1 of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, the use of such substances as a means of warfare is prohibited.
Since the start of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, more than 13,000 cases of hazardous chemical substance use have been documented by Ukrainian forces. The Support Forces continue to monitor and record these violations to ensure that cases are investigated and samples analyzed.
