OPCW finds Assad-eraOPCW finds Assad-era chemical weapons in Syria
Syria's transitional leadership and the OPCW said this week that they found remnants of Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons program, including undeclared bombs, rockets, raw materials, and munitions.
The discovery, reported in Syria and in a Wednesday OPCW report, matters because it shows chemical agents may still be hidden after years of civil war and sanctions-linked scrutiny.
Syrian Transitional Leadership
Syrian officials present the finds as evidence that they are uncovering hidden remnants of the former government's secret weapons program. They say the material was found during searches tied to wider efforts to account for past abuses and secure the country.
OPCW
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says the discovery underscores how much of Syria's chemical dossier still needs to be verified. It treats the findings as part of a long effort to remove and declare all chemical arms linked to the Assad era.
- Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013 after international pressure over sarin attacks.
- The OPCW won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its work on chemical disarmament.
- Chemical rockets can be harder to detect because their conventional shells may look similar to other munitions.
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia and Ukraine are locked in an retaliatory long-range drone and missile war that now strikes deep into both countries, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Crimea, and major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Dnipro. Ukrainian forces launched one of their largest drone attacks on June 26, striking 12 Russian regions and hitting key energy targets, while Russia continues massive retaliatory bombardments that kill civilians and destroy infrastructure.
26 June, 09:41 AM
Ukraine unleashes massive drone bombardment on 12 Russian regions24 June, 10:31 AM
Ukrainian drones knock out power in Russian-held Sevastopol22 June, 03:20 PM
Ukraine strikes Russian missile electronics plant in Voronezh
