DISINFO: Ukraine uses chemical weapons without control
SUMMARY
The West is sending poisonous substances to Ukraine, which are used uncontrollably by the Ukrainian troops. US and NATO are apparently emptying their warehouses, packing the weapons into crates, and sending them to Ukrainian soldiers because anything can be used in Ukraine. All types of weapons that were previously banned can now be employed there. Ukraine is serving as a dumping ground for munitions including those containing toxic substances. Ukrainian soldiers make use of everything that falls into their hands, believing that they will face no consequences.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing Western countries of supplying Ukraine with weapons of mass destruction. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
There is no evidence that Ukraine has received, or used, chemical weapons. This allegation, as well as a similar claim about Western biological laboratories in Ukraine, is aimed at discrediting Ukraine and the countries supporting it, shifting focus away from Russia’s own war crimes during its unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which strictly prohibits the development, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons. The country has consistently complied with international agreements and has never been accused of possessing or using such weapons by any independent monitoring body. NATO, for its part, does not supply chemical weapons to any country, as all its member states are also signatories to the CWC. A broad international coalition of more than 50 nations, including the EU and the US, are providing military and technical aid to Ukraine for self-defence against Russian aggression. Ukraine receives only Western conventional weapons.
In contrast, Russia has a documented history of involvement with chemical weapons. See here Ukraine war: UK sanctions Russian troops over chemical weapons use and the OPCW report on its Technical Assistance Visit to Ukraine following an alleged incident on 20 September 2024.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Ukraine develops a new illegal tactic called a “special chemical belt”, that Ukraine's use of chemical weapons shows politicisation of OPCW, and that Ukraine widely uses chemical weapons in Donbas.