The latest news on Russia and Ukraine. Dutch and German intelligence agencies have claimed on Friday that Russia has significantly expanded its use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, employing choking agents via drones to target soldiers in trenches.
"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," Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency later acknowledged the results, stating that it had acquired the information in collaboration with its Dutch allies. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has not yet launched a formal investigation.