Drone footage released by Ukrainian forces shows the use of drone dropped CS gas cannisters against Russian forces which is a violation of the 1925 Geneva Convention protocol that prohibits the use asphyxiating gases against enemy combatants.

While CS gas is commonly used by law enforcement for riot control, and is even used against friendly troops in confidence training scenarios with CBRN gear, the gas itself is still prohibited by the 1925 Geneva Convention Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare.

This video shows direct evidence of a low-level war crime by Ukrainian forces. The troops responsible for this specific CS gas attack should be reprimanded for their actions and the Ukrainian armed forces needs to start doing a better job of educating their Soldiers on the laws of armed conflict. Too often Ukrainian troops are left to their own devices when it comes to armament and modifications of their weapon systems, and this video is most likely a direct result of that lack of supervision.

While it would be easy to shrug this off as the Ukrainians simply playing a prank on their attackers, since CS gas really isn't all that bad, it does start the Ukrainian military down a slippery slope of violating the protocols set by the Geneva convention. The video itself could also be seen as justification for the use of such weapons by Russian forces.

It's worth noting, in a war without the Geneva Convention restraining the weapon systems of mankind, Ukraine will very quickly find themselves in a losing fight against Cold War era Russian bio-weapons, and NATO will be too paralyzed with debate to come to the rescue in time. This video is not the propaganda win the Ukrainian forces were looking for. In fact, it sets a dangerous precedent in the still escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia. They really do not want to do this fight in MOPP 4, and I really don't want to see World War 3 kick off because of spicy vape clouds.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com