Spain seizes 13 tons of chemicals, including 'possible' chemical weapon precursors, bound for Russia

Spanish police seized a total of 13 tons of prohibited chemicals, including "possible" chemical weapon precursors, bound for Russia on Oct. 15, the national police announced.

Four suspects were arrested in relation to the seizure and were charged with smuggling banned goods, as they allegedly attempted to circumvent EU sanctions which prohibit the shipping of dual-use chemicals to Russia.

"During the investigation, it was proven that internationally sanctioned chemicals, some of them possible precursors for chemical weapons or nerve agents, had been exported in the past using this company structure," the national police and tax authority said in a statement, according to Reuters.

According to investigators, the unspecified chemicals were found inside a shipping container at Barcelona's port.

To smuggle the chemicals, the accused established a Spanish company that would allegedly ship the sanctioned chemicals to a subsidiary in Moscow through shell companies in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.  

A Kyiv Independent investigation from August showed that Russia's use of gas attacks is rising. In January, 229 cases were recorded compared to 639 in June and 358 in July, according to the Ukrainian military's Support Forces, a branch of the army responsible for inspecting chemical warfare.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has recorded over 4,000 cases of Russian chemical agents used on Ukraine's front line, including over 3,100 reported cases since December 2023.

UK slaps sanctions on Russian forces for chemical weapons use in Ukraine

The United Kingdom issued sanctions against Russian units involved in the use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Office said on Oct. 8.

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

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