Russians have started using gas in attacks in Zaporizhzhya Region. Nine incidents were recorded in this area in the previous weeks, one of the Ukrainian combat medics, who was not named, told CNN.
According to him, the occupiers dumped caustic flammable gas on Ukrainian positions, which led to the death of one of the defenders. The victims said that the gas is used to cause panic and is accompanied by shelling or drone attacks.
A Ukrainian intelligence official told CNN that the substance used by the Russians was a type of CS gas (a chemical warfare agent with irritant effect).
"According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CS gas, a riot control agent also known as tear gas, is a chemical compound that can cause people to be temporarily unable to function by irritating the eyes, nose, mouth, lungs and skin. The United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention prohibits the use of riot control agents in times of war," the journalists said.
In recent months, there have been occasional reports of Russian soldiers using the gas on the battlefield, but its use around Orikhiv appears to be "extremely persistent".
Two soldiers who survived the gas attack showed CNN medical reports that they had been poisoned.
"At first I saw smoke. We ran out of the trench and the gas suddenly caught fire. The trench was on fire. This gas burns, blinds you, you can't breathe, it immediately damages your throat. We didn't even have a second," he said.
Another said he was able to breathe in only twice.
The men said they sustained injuries, including burns and wounds on their faces, as well as in their mouths and throats.
The use of chemicals on the battlefield is another sign of the brutality and deceitfulness of Russia's fight to regain lost territory. Ukraine had hoped for more progress over the summer towards the Sea of Azov, but now has to defend its small gains.
One commander named Ihor said that the Russians have begun to produce their own attack drones and are outnumbering ours.
The challenges Ihor and his colleagues face are enormous. It is even difficult to evacuate the wounded due to the lack of transport and the threat of attacks by Russian drones.
"We can't do it without support," he said.