To Distract From Its Own Violations, Russia Accuses Ukraine Anew of Manufacturing Chemical Weapons

Russia has made fresh claims that Ukraine is manufacturing chemical weapons, even though every past claim has turned out to be groundless. Moscow leveled the new accusation at a meeting of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Executive Council that ran from October 7 to 10. The move is likely intended to draw attention away from OPCW evidence of Russia’s own systematic use of such weapons in its war against Ukraine.

Russia Lays Out ‘Evidence’ of Ukrainian Chemical Weapons Violations

Ahead of the meeting, Russia requested the OPCW circulate what it alleged to be evidence of a cache of Ukrainian munitions and toxic chemicals Moscow supposedly found in May 2025 in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian village of Illinka. Russia said that Ukraine was preparing to use the “weapons” against Russian troops.

Russia said it conducted tests on the recovered substances and the presence of tear gas mixed with lung-damaging or choking agents was indicated. The 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which the OPCW implements, bans riot-control agents (RCAs) such as tear gas in warfare. It also prohibits the stockpiling and use of any other chemical weapons, including choking agents. The OPCW is required to consider and potentially investigate and report impartially on such allegations by member states, and is discussing with Russia whether the case merits an OPCW technical assistance visit.

Ukraine’s Original Claims and Russia’s Pattern of Deception

Last year, Ukraine requested OPCW assistance to investigate evidence of Russia’s regular use of chemical weapons since the start of the war, including a choking agent and RCAs — including two of the same chemicals Russia claims Ukraine is using.

In three reports detailing several instances in which the OPCW analyzed samples and other evidence, the OPCW confirmed that RCAs and munitions have been used against Ukrainian positions on the front lines. The United States and its European partners have made similar findings, and media investigations have detailed Moscow’s chemical weapons supply chain for the attacks. As of September, Kyiv said it had tracked nearly 11,000 instances of Russia’s use of chemical weapons and circulated its own evidence to the Executive Council. It reported that nearly 3,000 service members had to seek medical care due to “acute poisoning.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly made unfounded accusations that Ukraine (and the United States) are developing or using chemical weapons against Russian troops. Similarly, Moscow has used disinformation campaigns in attempts to discredit evidence about its own misconduct. Previously, Russia worked to raise doubts about its proven use of chemical weapons in 2018 in the United Kingdom and in 2020 against Alexei Navalny in Russia.

Trump Administration Must Act on Russia’s Non-Compliance

To exploit the OPCW, Russia may have planted a trail of false evidence showing Ukrainian stockpiling of chemical weapons that the OPCW Secretariat may be compelled to investigate. If so, the Trump administration and its partners should discredit Moscow’s attempt. They should also push for a formal Executive Council decision authorizing the OPCW to assign attribution for Russia’s chemical attacks in Ukraine, which would dispel any doubt that Russia has repeatedly violated the CWC.

It is also long past time for the United States to lead OPCW member states in issuing an ultimatum for Russia to come into compliance with the CWC or face suspension of its OPCW voting rights and privileges of holding office. The first Trump administration pushed for Syria’s suspension after it failed to respond to such an ultimatum, and the Biden administration saw the effort through to completion in 2021. In the meantime, states should ensure Russia does not win back its seat on the Executive Council, which it lost to Ukraine in 2024.

Like with Syria, suspending Moscow would impose penalties for Russia’s continued stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, support the CWC’s integrity, and marginalize Moscow’s influence at the OPCW.

Andrea Stricker is a research fellow and deputy director of the Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from the author and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Andrea on X @StrickerNonpro. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy.