Russian troops have used chemical agents banned in warfare as a psychological operation to sow panic among the Ukrainian forces, said Vlasiuk from the Support Forces’ Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Command, a branch of the army responsible for inspecting chemical warfare. Russian drones throw gas grenades into dugouts or trenches in a brutal tactic to force Ukrainian soldiers out into the open field, making them easy prey for drone or artillery attacks. Of the 323 recorded cases of Russia's chemical attacks in October, nearly all except 15 incidents were "unidentified," Vlasiuk told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 28.

Identifying chemical agents is “very easy” with the right detectors, according to Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, former commanding officer of the U.K.’s Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment. He estimated that Ukraine might need “a few hundred” hand-held detectors that cost roughly $10,000 to $50,000 each.

Russia’s use of unidentified gas surges on the front line, Ukraine lacks detectors

Russia is increasingly deploying unidentified gas in its latest chemical warfare tactic against Ukrainian troops, who are losing ground across the hotspots of the eastern front line.

^{Asami Terajima (The Kyiv Independent)}