DUkraine accuses Russia of frequently using tear gas against Ukrainian soldiers in their trenches. The Ukrainian General Staff said 626 cases have been counted since the war began almost two years ago. In the first days of January 2024 there were 51 cases with an increasing trend of up to 10 attacks per day. The grenades containing the irritant gas CS, which is also used by the police in many places, would be dropped by drones or fired by artillery.

The use of tear gas in war is banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Moscow is also a signatory to. There was no independent confirmation of the Ukrainian information. The American Institute for War Studies (ISW) picked up the information in a report on Saturday evening, but did not name any additional sources.

The British Russia research institute Rusi wrote in June 2023 about the possible use of irritant gas by Russian troops, based on a report on Russian state television. Because the Ukrainian soldiers have their NBC protective equipment against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, the tear gas cannot do much harm to them, the institute analyzed. Wearing gas masks is a hindrance when fighting.

Ukraine has been repelling a large-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. The situation on the front in the east and south of the country has been deadlocked for months. Despite fierce fighting with losses on both sides, there have been hardly any changes to the front line.