From 10 to 13 March 2026, The Hague hosted the 111th session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), in which the Ukrainian delegation took part, headed by H.E. Mr Andriy Kostin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the OPCW.
Ukraine fully aligned itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and also delivered national remarks on key agenda items.
The session took place against the backdrop of the fourth anniversary of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In its interventions, the Ukrainian delegation stressed that the systematic use by the Russian Federation of hazardous chemical substances on the battlefield undermines the global non-proliferation regime, which is one of the cornerstones of international security and stability.
One of the key topics under discussion was Russia’s ongoing and escalating use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents against Ukraine — a blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
In his statement, Head of the Delegation Ambassador Andriy Kostin noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion the Russian Federation has been systematically using hazardous chemical substances, including riot control agents (RCA), as a method of warfare, which constitutes a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
According to Ukrainian competent authorities, more than 12,500 incidents involving the use by Russian forces of munitions containing hazardous chemical substances have been documented. Ukraine systematically documents such violations and transmits the relevant materials to the OPCW Technical Secretariat and to States Parties to the Convention. Three Technical Assistance Visits conducted in Ukraine by the OPCW confirmed that the samples provided by Ukraine contain riot control agents that the Russian Federation uses as a method of warfare.
In this context, the Head of the Ukrainian delegation emphasised the critical importance of ensuring the effective functioning within the OPCW of mechanism aimed at identifying those responsible for the use of chemical weapons. Such mechanism should enable the Organisation not only to establish the facts of the use of prohibited chemical substances, but also to clearly identify those responsible for such violations — including perpetrators, organisers, sponsors and other individuals or entities involved in the use of chemical weapons.
The Ukrainian side stressed that cases involving the use of toxic chemical substances associated with the Russian Federation demonstrate a systemic pattern. This concerns not only their use on the battlefield in Ukraine, but also the use of nerve agents on the territory of other States, notably in the case of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in the United Kingdom, as well as against Russian citizens themselves, as in the case of Alexei Navalny.
In this regard, the Ukrainian delegation supported the joint initiative of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom and joined their call to hold the Russian Federation accountable for repeated and systemic violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The Ukrainian delegation also drew attention to new and dangerous trends in the ways toxic chemical substances are used on the battlefield. Ukraine’s experience in the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression demonstrates that technological innovation has already transformed the operational modalities of using such substances as a means of warfare. In particular, Russian armed forces have adapted the use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents to modern battlefield conditions by employing unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver them into trenches and other confined positions.
In their statements, the majority of delegations expressed support for Ukraine, strongly condemned the use of chemical substances as a method of warfare and emphasised the need to ensure full and effective attribution of cases involving the use of chemical weapons.
The Ukrainian delegation expressed its appreciation to the Director-General of the OPCW and the Technical Secretariat for their consistent support to Ukraine, in particular for providing expert assistance in national investigations of incidents involving the use of chemical substances. The Ukrainian side also thanked partner States for their voluntary contributions, which enable the implementation of assistance programmes and the strengthening of the capacities of Ukrainian specialists in countering chemical threats.
Ukraine reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the goals and principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention and its readiness to continue active cooperation with the OPCW and partner States in order to strengthen the global prohibition of chemical weapons and ensure accountability for their use.