Russia is employing a truly abhorrent form of warfare
10 April 2025 5:53pm BST
The UK is leading the way against Russian use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, by providing effective protection against this campaign of war crimes by Putin.
Russia is using chemical weapons on an industrial scale in Ukraine and has been for 18 months, because it is the only way it can make any progress. As Putin steps up his spring offensive, he also appears to be stepping up his chemical weapons usage. Medics in the Pokrovsk area told me that they have been dealing with multiple chemical casualties over the last seven days.
This is despite the fact that chemical weapons were banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1996 – to which Russia is signatory. Putin fights dirty and his enemies need to be able to operate in a contaminated environment.
Putin, of course, saw President Assad of Syria hold on to power through 13 years of civil war because he used chemical weapons to subjugate those who opposed him. Chemical weapons are cheap and highly effective, especially against civilians or unprotected soldiers. I would go as far as to say that if you have no morals or scruples you would use chemical weapons all the time as they are morbidly brilliant.
Putin, Kim Jong Un and the Mullahs in Tehran appear to fit this mould exactly. However, the announcement this week that 65,000 British gas masks are on the way to Ukraine will severely diminish the effectiveness of Russian chemical attacks. Sometimes simple things like gas masks can make a strategic difference. The art of war is being able to identify what works and what does not and act accordingly – it is not the same as the “Art of the Deal” as some seem to think.
The world turned a blind eye when the Obama “red line” on the use of chemical weapons in Syria evaporated. It continues to do the same regarding Russian chemical weapon usage in Ukraine.
President Trump appears to be getting ready to attack Iran with missiles and China with tariffs. This is probably not going to make the world safer or America richer. Meanwhile Russia is left free of any threat from the US president at the moment, which seems deeply illogical. It is Russia that is the threat: it is probably enabling proliferation of chemical and nuclear weapons across other rogue states. We must be on our guard in case of escalation to more deadly chemical weapons, like the lethal nerve agent Novichok – already used against targets in Britain, lest we forget.
At least something sensible is happening, even if it is on a smaller scale. British gas masks will make a significant difference to Ukrainian soldiers defending their land from the Russian hordes. But what we need is for the world’s great powers to take hard action against those like Putinwho would defy treaties like the Chemical Weapons Convention, and use truly abhorrent forms of warfare.
Hamish de Bretton Gordon is a former British Army officer and chemical warfare expert
That’s 65,000 frontline troops that will be protected.
A good start.
More will follow.
Comment from :
Robert Alan Sutton
The russians bombed a plant in Dnipro today making nappies and wet wipes. As our mayor noted, no NATO officers or mercenaries were at the plant. There was a lot of smoke and unfortunately one employee was killed.
What russia gains other than more contempt and loathing from bombing such a place is beyond me.
Another Reader
It’s absurd to think Russia will play by the rules. The invasion of Ukraine was itself a breach of international law. Russian soldiers rape, murder, torture and pillage. That’s what the West has to deal with?
Michael Brown
At long last Britain supplies gas masks. It’s been known for many months they were needed in Ukraine and it seems it’s Starmer who has at last acted. The Tories didn’t act and Ukrainians on the front line died as a result. Shameful.
Mike Page
Putin doesn’t give a frick what the rest of the world thinks. Then he makes a show of his version of Christianity. His corruption is poisoning all of Russia. A fish rots from the head.
philippjus
As Russia gases Ukrainians they continue their tariff free trade with the USA while the U.K. EU and Ukraine all villains pay the greatest deal maker in history 10% on everything except cars steel and aluminium when it’s 25%. It really does pay to invade and gas your neighbours if you want to impress the wonderful wizard.
Star comment from the always reliable ex-copper:
Carpe Jugulum
There is a very basic fact in play. Putin is NOT a politician nor is he a national leader, he is a murdering thug who has climbed to the top of a mature kleptocracy. He is a gang leader who runs a gang by violence and patronage assisted by tame oligarchs and underlings awaiting their turn.
I have dealt with murdering thugs as a detective, they do not even think like normal human beings. There is no morality or honesty and no compassion. Their world revolves around self. Deals are temporary constructs to be broken when convenient.
Ukrainians understand this, they have seen the animal in their yard. It is time the rest of the world woke up to the fact.
Everything the shithole does is against some form of law or agreement. Why doesn’t Ukraine use chemicals on the cockroaches? They certainly should.