On 30 November, the international community commemorates thousands of people who fell victim to the use of chemical weapons.

It has been more than one hundred years since toxic chemical agents were first used on a massive scale in the Belgian city of Ypres. This event shocked the world and became an impetus for the creation of the global chemical weapons prohibition regime.

However, today the tragedy of the past has once again gained particular relevance. By launching its armed aggression against Ukraine, the Russian Federation has repeatedly and deliberately employed not only anti-personnel mines, attack drones, and missiles, but also chemical agents as a method of warfare.

Since February 2023, Ukraine has recorded and documented 11,697 instances in which Russian forces used munitions containing hazardous chemical substances. As a result, 3,003 Ukrainian servicemen were compelled to seek medical assistance with symptoms of chemical exposure of varying severity.

As a state that consistently and steadfastly adheres to the chemical weapons non-proliferation regime, Ukraine continuously informs the OPCW of the ongoing violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention committed by the Russian Federation.

We are grateful to the OPCW for its objective, impartial and professional work in examining these violations, as well as for confirming in its reports the evidence provided by the Ukrainian side. We count on the active involvement of this reputable Organization in establishing an attribution mechanism, which will be a key element in ensuring Russia’s accountability.

Today, it is critically important to deprive Russia of any sense of impunity for its crimes, including the systematic use of prohibited chemical agents on the battlefield, in order to prevent the recurrence of such crimes in other parts of the world.

At the same time, we underline that as long as the Russian Federation blatantly disregards its obligations under the CWC, it has no place among the states shaping the modern architecture of the global non-proliferation system. Notably, for the third consecutive year, the international community has decisively blocked all attempts by the Russian Federation to regain a seat on the OPCW Executive Council.

The Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Weapons obliges the entire international community to act resolutely. We must work together to ensure that the aspiration to build a ‘world free of chemical weapons’ serve as a guiding principle for present and future generations, and that the horrors of Ypres never recur.

As a state elected for a second consecutive term to the OPCW Executive Council, Ukraine will continue its efforts to strengthen the fundamental pillars of international security aimed at protecting humanity from the horrors of chemical warfare.