Three European intelligence services have issued a grave warning, alleging that Russia is escalating its use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the deployment of poison gases dating back to World War I.

The specifics of the intelligence remain undisclosed for operational security reasons, but the consensus among the three agencies points to a significant and concerning uptick in chemical attacks.

The report suggests that Russia is not only utilizing nerve agents, which have previously been suspected in limited incidents, but is also resorting to older, less sophisticated, yet still deadly, chemical weapons from its vast arsenals.

The use of WWI-era poison gas, if confirmed, would represent a shocking escalation, demonstrating a disregard for international law and the potential for widespread harm to both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.

This tactic could indicate a desperation on the part of Russia, attempting to gain a battlefield advantage through unconventional means as its conventional forces struggle.

The intelligence agencies are reportedly gathering evidence to substantiate their claims, which will likely include witness testimonies, forensic analysis of collected samples from impacted areas, and intercepted communications.

However, the sensitive nature of this information and the inherent difficulties in definitively attributing chemical attacks mean that a public release of all the supporting evidence may be delayed or may not be possible entirely.

The potential consequences of confirmed widespread use of chemical weapons are severe.

Such actions would likely trigger a strong international condemnation, potentially leading to further sanctions against Russia and a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape.

Furthermore, the use of chemical weapons introduces a new and horrifying dimension to the conflict, raising fears of escalation and further atrocities.

Independent verification and investigation by international bodies like the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) are crucial to confirm the allegations and hold those responsible to account.

The international community is watching closely, and the implications of these allegations are profound and potentially devastating.

The Hague — Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited , including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin.

The Netherlands' military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become "standardized and commonplace" in Ukraine.

According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans called for more sanctions against Moscow and continued military support for Kyiv.

Brekelmans, who stayed on in a caretaker role after the Dutch government collapsed last month, said he doesn't want to see the use of chemical weapons become normalized.

He on social media, "Drones are dropping the chemical chloropicrin on trenches, driving away and then killing Ukrainian soldiers."

Brekelmans said with the use of large-scale chemical weapons, Russia was again showing "its evil face."

Lowering the threshold for use "is not only dangerous for Ukraine, but also for the rest of Europe and the world," he said in a statement.

Russia has signed up to the which bans the use of chloropicrin and CS as weapons. The convention's watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, has found several incidents in Ukraine involving CS, but the group hasn't conducted a full investigation, which must be requested by the member states.

The executive committee for the OPCW is holding a regular meeting next week, where it's expected to discuss the conflict in Ukraine. Russian authorities didn't immediately comment on the findings, but they have denied using chemical weapons in the past, instead alleging that Ukraine has used the banned substances.  According to Ukraine, Russia has carried out 9,000 chemical weapons attacks in the country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

In December, the head of the Russian military's biological and chemical weapons unit, Lt. General Igor Kirillov, with his deputy during a blast in Moscow. At the time, an informed source in the Security Service of Ukraine told TheNews, "Kirillov was a war criminal and an absolutely legitimate target, since he gave orders to use prohibited chemical weapons against the Ukrainian military."

In 2024, the U.S. State Department said that it had recorded the use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.