The investigation was carried out: the Russian Federation expects a visit from OPCW experts in 2027.

Moscow is waiting for the arrival of specialists from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) next year, Russian permanent representative to this structure Vladimir Tarabrin told Izvestia. According to him, active consultations are currently underway, and a number of organizational, technical and practical issues need to be agreed upon. At the same time, there are forces in the organization that are not interested in satisfying the Russian request. According to experts, most likely, we are talking about Western European countries that rely on the accusation of the Russian Federation in the use of toxic substances. Fixing the facts of the use of chemical munitions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces can seriously worsen the already difficult image of the Kiev authorities on the world stage.

Visit of OPCW experts to Russia

Russia is counting on a visit by OPCW experts in 2027, Russian Permanent Representative to the organization Vladimir Tarabrin told Izvestia.

— We are actively consulting with the Technical Secretariat on this topic. It is necessary to coordinate a number of organizational, technical and practical issues, including from the point of view of compliance with the internal procedures in force at the OPCW Technical Secretariat. We hope that this visit will take place next year," the diplomat said.

Izvestia sent a request to the OPCW with a request to clarify the details of a possible visit to Russia by a group of specialists.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Mirny

In July 2025, Moscow asked the organization to send experts to our country. As the Russian permanent representative clarified at the time, technical assistance was required after the discovery of sets of improvised explosive devices loaded with toxic chemicals in the territory liberated from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. OPCW experts can confirm or deny the use of toxic substances on the spot. These conclusions can then be used in other international structures.

Toxic approaches: The OPCW wants to involve the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the investigation of crimes

A group of experts from the organization may come to Russia to present evidence of Kiev's use of chemical weapons.

Vladimir Tarabrin stressed that "there are forces in the OPCW that are not interested in Russia's request being satisfied." According to these forces, even the very visit of the organization's experts to our country may cast doubt on the image of Kiev, carefully supported by supporters of the Ukrainian regime, as an impeccable and innocent party.

The position of the United States, which, for example, sits on the current executive council of the OPCW, is important in this matter. Vladimir Tarabrin noted that since 2022, any communication with the American side at the Hague site has been interrupted at the initiative of Washington.

"Since then, despite the ongoing dialogue between the presidents of our countries and their special representatives, the US delegation to the OPCW has not shown the slightest interest in restoring contacts and resuming any interaction," the diplomat said.

Fences put up by the police of the city of Salisbury, where former GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia had dinner.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Filippov

Western European countries, in particular the United Kingdom, are probably opposed to the approval of the Russian request, Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State University, told Izvestia. In his opinion, the fact of the delay in approving the request of the Russian Federation indicates the serious nature of the counteraction. In 2018, the United Kingdom accused Russia of organizing an assassination attempt with a poisonous substance on ex-GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Moscow has denied these accusations and said that the British side is doing everything possible to conceal the truth about the incident in Salisbury.

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During this time, since the request for the visit of experts was submitted, the leadership of the OPCW has changed: in July, Sabrina Dalafior, a representative of Switzerland, assumed the post of Director General of the Technical Secretariat. She promised to make efforts to depoliticize the work of the structure. Despite the fact that Switzerland has lost its previous commitment to neutrality due to joining sanctions against the Russian Federation, Bern's position remains more moderate in contrast to other Western countries. Therefore, it is possible that changes in the leadership of the organization will intensify negotiations on the arrival of experts in the Russian Federation.

Chemical weapons of Ukraine

Moscow regularly raises the issue of Kiev's violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) at meetings of the OPCW's governing bodies. As the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the organization explained, the Russian side reports on the use of toxic chemicals and chemical weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against civilians, representatives of the administrations of Russian regions and military personnel. In addition, Moscow claims terrorist acts, which, according to its data, are committed by Ukrainian nationalists using various toxic substances.

A cache of improvised explosive devices

Photo: TASS/TSOS of the FSB of the Russian Federation

In particular, thematic briefings are held on the sidelines of the meetings, during which relevant photo and video materials are shown. The 31st session of the OPCW Conference of States Parties, which will be held from November 23 to 27, 2026 in The Hague, will be no exception.

At the same time, Moscow has something to present to the world community. Since the beginning of its operation, more than 600 cases of Kiev using chemicals have been recorded, Major General Alexei Rtishchev, head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection forces of the Russian Armed Forces, said at the end of 2025. In particular, the Ukrainian Armed Forces regularly use UAVs to drop CS containers and homemade chloropicrin ammunition onto the positions of the Russian Armed Forces. In the liberated territories, the Russian military is discovering caches of homemade bombs filled with toxins, he said.

A precursor was introduced: Ukraine receives chemical weapons through mercenaries and Western intelligence services

The supply of toxins and protective equipment may indicate the preparation of provocations in the area of

Izvestia reported that mercenaries and Western intelligence agencies were delivering toxic substances and chemical munitions to Ukraine. In particular, such as BZ, CS, CR and others. These are toxic substances that cause loss of legal capacity, confusion, loss of orientation and memory for several days.

Devices loaded with explosive plasteel and the chemical warfare agent chlorpicrin, prohibited by the UN Convention

Photo: TASS/TSOS of the FSB of the Russian Federation

Earlier, OPCW experts visited Ukraine four times. However, Moscow has serious questions about the integrity of these experts, and their report is full of inconsistencies, Vladimir Tarabrin said in September. A visit by specialists from the OPCW technical secretariat would have allowed the evidence collected by the Russian Federation to be recorded. The Russian side previously announced that it would be ready to transfer control samples, materials, as well as documentation and certificates to specialists. At the same time, it is still unclear where exactly the experts could go, but it may well be the Kursk region, which suffered from the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Shapovalov believes.

According to Natalia Yeremina, Professor of St. Petersburg State University, by inviting OPCW experts, our country fulfills its international obligations. In addition, the use of this organization as a platform for presenting evidence of Kiev's use of toxic substances will break the information blockade. Moreover, the recording of such actions by Kiev experts will be important for future court proceedings in international instances.