Asked by: Brian Mathew (Liberal Democrat - Melksham and Devizes)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking Avon Protection to produce a further 200,000 gas masks for soldiers in Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Russia has publicly admitted to the use of Riot Control Agents on the battlefield against Ukraine, and there are multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin. In December last year, a Technical Report confirming the use of Riot Control Agents in Ukraine was published by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The UK has been at the forefront of international support and assistance to Ukraine. In the first few months of Russia's illegal invasion, UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) provided respirators and decontamination kits to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as other protective measures to enhance Ukraine's protective capabilities against chemical weapons.
In December 2024, following a direct request for UK Assistance by Ukraine, the MOD announced further funding for the procurement of respirators and other equipment to protect Ukraine's forces. This is being procured jointly with international partners through the G7 led Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Our commitment to Ukraine is unwavering and we continue to work closely with our international partners, both bilaterally and in multilateral forums, to coordinate counter-CBRN support and assistance to Ukraine.