Russia is escalating the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces, the Netherlands Military Intelligence (MIVD) reported on July 4. Russian troops use banned chemical agents as psychological warfare to panic Ukrainian forces,

Intelligence services of the Netherlands and Germany found that Russia has increased its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Dutch intelligence service's press office on July 4.

The Dutch intelligence findings on alleged Russian use of chloropicrin, a banned warfare agent first used by Germany during World War One, have not previously been reported.