August 2025: CBRN Updates

Updates on CBRN data within METIS

In December 2024 we announced the addition of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) technical entries to METIS, significantly enhancing our pre-existing CBRN events capability. We wanted to give a further update on these features.

Our events tracking provides critical insights into the intentional use, accidental release, or theft of CBRN agents. Meanwhile our technical entries supplement pre-existing CBRN munitions, enhancing understanding of the agents themselves, and their effects.

We have been continuously working on our CBRN data within METIS, creating further technical entries, adding hundreds of events and also improving the accessibility of the data to users. Reports have also been generated on topics such as Russian allegations of Ukraine chemical weapons, a Russian strike on Strike on Chernobyl Number Four Reactor, ISIS chemical mortar bombs, improvised UAV-(drone-)deployed chemical dispersal devices etc.

CBRN events and technical entries

We now have 3,846 CBRN events across 106 countries, with more added daily. 118 technical entries are now available, with 99 of these tagged to events. Current and historical events are being added to METIS continuously by our analysts, improving the data available for review and analysis.

Some events have tags to both the munition and the related CBRN agent, such as the use of a UAVs to deploy chemical warfare agent (CWA) hand grenades in Ukraine. These grenades contain irritant agents that would commonly be known as tear gas.

OSINT recorded by Fenix Insight on  01 Dec 2023 in Avdiivka, Ukraine: "the Russians "smoked out" a Ukrainian machine gunner from a position near Avdiivka. The propagandist showed in his report, presumably, a Russian gas grenade RG-VO"	OSINT recorded by Fenix Insight on  27 Mar 2023 in Luhansk, Ukraine: "Ukrainian border guards in Luhansk region were able to intercept a DJI quadcopter equipped with a skid system. The drone was carrying a K-51 gas grenade"

RG-Vo	CN Gas	K-51	CS Gas

Main search

Our homepage main search allows for searching CBRN technical entries, with alternate names (e.g.Cs-135) and spellings (e.g. Cesium-135 and Caesium-135). This allows users to easily find the information they require.

News search

It is now possible to utilise news search to explore our events captured within METIS that have a CBRN item tagged to it, just like the tagged munitions to other events. In some cases there may be both tagged, furthering user awareness and the ability to analyse the data.

Or country and keyword search terms can be used to return data on ‘Ukraine chemical weapons’ as an example.

Survey

As part of our outreach, we created a survey to allow us to improve the CBRN capability within METIS, by directing our efforts based on the results. The survey takes several minutes and we would appreciate any feedback you are willing to provide on this matter. A link to the survey is HERE.

We hope this overview of CBRN data added to METIS has been useful. Our team is dedicated to continuously updating and expanding our events and entries.

 If you have any questions or want to discuss this further, please don't hesitate to reach out.