Ukrainian forces have also been accused of executing Russian prisoners of war, but the number of such claims has been much smaller. Yuri Belousov says that the Ukrainian prosecution service treats such accusations "very seriously" and is investigating them - but so far no one has been charged.

The issue of Russia’s alleged use of chemical weapons in Ukraine was put firmly on the international agenda in May 2024, when the US imposed new sanctions on Russia, accusing it of resorting to the use of tear gas and chloropicrin, an odourless toxic irritant, on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin once again claimed that he had no choice but to violate the 2014 and 2015 ceasefires and launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In his view, the decision to invade should have been made earlier,