Russia's Silent Gas War in Ukraine Violates International Law

A pre-war Ukrainian Naval Forces marine wears a gas mask during a mock firefight July 30, 2015, as part of Rapid Trident training in Yavoriv, Ukraine. Rapid Trident is a long-standing US Army Europe-led cooperative training exercise focused on peacekeeping and stability operations. Public domain

I’ve been gassed twice in my life. The first was at infantry school, where they lovingly herded us into a gas chamber wearing full MOPP gear (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) and, just for kicks, ordered us to rip off our masks and shout our social security numbers.

I made it through two digits before my throat slammed shut like a bear trap. Cue an hour of coughing, hacking, and enough mucus to star in a B-grade horror movie.

The second time was worse… way worse. During training, they sprayed me point-blank with oleoresin capsicum (OC), the spicy little demon that gives mace its kick. I’ll put it plainly: I’d take a bullet over that again. No hesitation.

The author stumbling out of the gas chamber at Fort Benning, Georgia. Author’s collection.

And now, as if the Kremlin didn’t already have enough war crimes to juggle, Russia is increasingly using gas on the battlefield, thumbing its nose at international law and basic human decency in the process.

New Reports Confirm Chemical Grenade Use in Zaporizhzhia

According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian forces have been repeatedly dropping RG-Vo grenades from drones, because apparently, conventional war crimes weren’t getting the job done fast enough.

These grenades, packed with toxic substances designed to rip through the respiratory system and mucous membranes, are now responsible for a growing number of casualties among Ukrainian troops.

The RG-Vo — short for “hand grenade — poisonous substance” in Russian military-speak — isn’t just some battlefield oddity. It’s a war crime packed neatly into a metal canister.

The use of chemical agents in warfare is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Russia still pretends to honor when it’s not busy shredding it in practice.

Kyiv has launched investigations into the chemical makeup of these weapons, but that’s little comfort to the troops on the front lines who are dealing with the here and now: exposure, injury, and death.

Protective gear is spotty at best, and even when it’s available, fighting effectively in a gas mask — or worse, a full MOPP suit — is about as easy as running a marathon in a scuba outfit.

A Not-So-New Pattern: Russia’s Chemical Playbook Emerges