Russia uses chemical munitions against Ukraine nearly 400 times in February 2026

The radiation, chemical and biological defence units of the Ukrainian armed forces recorded nearly 400 cases of Russian forces using special munitions equipped with chemical irritants against Ukraine in February 2026.

This is according to the head of the communications department of the Command of the Support Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Kravchuk.

As well as "conventional means of fire damage", reported Ukrinform, Russia used special munitions loaded with the riot control agents CS and CN, used in some countries by law enforcement agencies in peacetime for policing purposes, including crowd control.

Although not included in the list of lethal combat toxic agents and not causing damage to equipment or personal protective gear, they do cause "severe irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract, tearing, coughing, choking, disorientation and temporary loss of combat capability".

According to paragraph 5, article 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which Russia is a state party, the use of riot control agents as a method of warfare is prohibited.

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Ukraine has documented more than 13,000 cases of Russia using hazardous chemical substances.

Russia reportedly used riot control agents against Ukrainian positions 224 times in January 2026.