Protracted war increases the risk of chemical escalation by Russia

Vladimir Putin may resort to using more deadly chemical weapons against Ukraine in the event of a protracted or stalemated war.

This is reported by The Times.

The publication notes that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have already used banned chemical agents thousands of times on the front. At the same time, the risk of using much more dangerous weapons is now increasing.

Ukraine’s European allies are concerned that a protracted war or lack of progress on the front could push the Kremlin to escalate with weapons of mass destruction. Russia regularly threatens nuclear weapons but avoids public statements about chemical and biological weapons.

Former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency Alex Younger said that Western countries are closely monitoring the Kremlin’s actions. According to him, Russia has not yet returned to the use of classical chemical weapons, but such a scenario remains possible in the future.

Last year, Dutch and German intelligence services reported that Russia was increasing the use of chloropicrin, a World War I-era chemical, in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side claims that at least three servicemen died as a result of exposure to chemical substances.

As previously reported, the European Union has increased pressure on those involved in the development and use of chemical weapons.

Recall that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian army soldiers have used chemical weapons against the Ukrainian Defense Forces about 11 thousand times.