Gas Masks in Modern War: A Former NATO CBRN Commander

Editorial disclosure: this article is based primarily on publicly published commentary by Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE: "Gas Masks Can Protect Ukraine's Armed Forces — and the UK Must Lead the Way," published by Forces News on July 16, 2024. Additional factual context is drawn from public reports issued by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United States government. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, NATO, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, Forces News, and the OPCW are not affiliated with CBRNMASKS.COM and have not endorsed CBRNMASKS.COM or any product offered by it. Analysis, preparedness conclusions, and product recommendations are by David Magen alone.

Advanced missiles, drones, artillery, and electronic warfare dominate most discussions about the war in Ukraine. Yet one of the simplest pieces of protective equipment may determine whether soldiers can remain in their positions — or are forced into the open under enemy fire.

Former UK and NATO CBRN Commander: Why Gas Masks Still Matter in Modern Warfare

That is the warning issued by Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE, former Commanding Officer of the United Kingdom's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment and former commander of NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. De Bretton-Gordon served for more than two decades in the British Army, deployed on operations including the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and later advised humanitarian and medical organizations operating in areas affected by chemical attacks.

This analysis is best read alongside the Salisbury Novichok threat analysis and chemical-biological drone-swarm threats. Together, they connect the threat picture with its operational and civilian-preparedness implications.

In a public article published by Forces News in July 2024, he argued that providing Ukraine with effective gas masks could offer a major tactical advantage at a fraction of the cost of many offensive weapons. His point was not merely that respirators can reduce chemical exposure — it was that respiratory protection can prevent chemical agents from achieving their true battlefield objective: forcing protected troops to abandon defensive positions.

Chemical Weapons Do Not Need to Kill to Change a Battle

Modern battlefield use of chemical agents can be more tactical than the mass-casualty scenarios most people imagine. An attacking force does not necessarily need to kill every person inside a trench. It may only need to introduce an irritant, choking agent, or incapacitating chemical that makes the position impossible to occupy. Without suitable respiratory and eye protection, soldiers may be forced to leave bunkers, foxholes, vehicles, or fortified positions — and once exposed in open terrain, they become vulnerable to artillery, drones, small-arms fire, and advancing forces.

This is why de Bretton-Gordon views gas masks as more than personal protective equipment. In his analysis, they are a means of preserving combat power. A unit that can remain protected inside its defensive position is much harder to dislodge than one that must flee whenever a chemical grenade or canister arrives.

Subsequent Evidence Strengthened His Warning

Since de Bretton-Gordon published his article, independent international testing has confirmed the presence of toxic chemicals in samples collected from positions along the Ukrainian front. Three separate OPCW Technical Assistance Visit reports confirmed the findings:

  • November 2024: OPCW analyses by two designated laboratories, conducted separately and independently, confirmed that grenade and soil samples collected from a trench near the village of Illinka, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, contained the riot control agent CS (2-Chlorobenzylidenemalononitrile). Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the use of riot control agents as a method of warfare is prohibited.
  • February 2025: A second OPCW Technical Assistance Visit report confirmed CS in samples from three separate alleged incidents that took place along the confrontation lines in the Dnipropetrovsk region in October 2024.
  • June 2025: A third OPCW report again confirmed CS in samples associated with another alleged incident. OPCW Director-General Arias stated: "The repeated discovery of riot-control agent grenades near active conflict zones in the Dnipropetrovsk region is deeply concerning. This marks the third such confirmed incident and highlights the pressing need to reinforce adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention."

The United States government separately determined in May 2024 that Russian forces had used chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops as a method of warfare.

Why CS and Chloropicrin Matter

CS is commonly associated with tear gas. Its immediate effects can include severe irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, coughing, tearing, disorientation, and difficulty functioning. In civilian law-enforcement contexts, riot-control agents are intended to produce temporary effects. Their tactical use during warfare is prohibited because the circumstances are fundamentally different: a soldier exposed inside a trench cannot simply move to a safe, ventilated area. Leaving the contaminated position may expose that soldier to direct fire, artillery, or drones. Chloropicrin presents an even more serious concern — historically used as a chemical warfare agent, it can severely irritate the lungs, eyes, and skin, causing coughing, vomiting, and breathing difficulty. Either substance can make an otherwise defensible position temporarily uninhabitable without causing a large number of immediate fatalities.

The Drone Has Changed Chemical Delivery

A relatively inexpensive first-person-view or multirotor drone can approach a trench, dugout, building entrance, or vehicle with considerable precision, potentially delivering a grenade or canister into an enclosed position without exposing the operator to direct fire. Russian drones will often drop gas grenades into Ukrainian trenches and dugouts to force Ukrainian soldiers into open areas, where they will be exposed to further attacks by drones, gunfire, or artillery. The June 2025 OPCW report described samples collected alongside remnants of an FPV drone following an alleged toxic-chemical incident. The delivery system does not have to spread a chemical across an entire battlefield — it only has to contaminate a specific trench, room, shelter, or vehicle long enough to disrupt the people inside it.

Old Equipment Can Create a False Sense of Security

De Bretton-Gordon warned that some Ukrainian personnel were relying on old Soviet masks or had no functional protection at all. A mask may look complete while suffering from: hardened or cracked rubber; damaged inhalation or exhalation valves; deteriorated head straps; a warped sealing surface; a damaged visor; corroded filter threads; missing internal components; or an opened, expired, or unsuitable filter. The most dangerous outcome is not always having no mask — it may be believing that an unserviceable mask provides protection when it does not.

The Filter Is as Important as the Mask

The filter determines which airborne substances the system is designed to reduce. A standard 40mm connection allows compatible filters to be physically attached to many military-type masks — but thread compatibility and hazard compatibility are two different questions. Before relying on a filter, the user should establish: the exact filter model; the manufacturer's stated protection range; whether the filter remains factory sealed; its manufacture or expiration information; its storage history; whether it is intended for the anticipated substance; and whether the expected concentration falls within the equipment's limitations.

Fit Can Determine Whether the System Works

When a mask does not seal properly, contaminated air can enter through gaps between the face and the sealing surface instead of passing through the filter. Possible causes of leakage include: incorrect mask size; loose or damaged straps; facial hair beneath the seal; glasses crossing the sealing area; facial shape or scarring; incorrect positioning; or a damaged face seal. OSHA defines a quantitative fit test as a numerical measurement of leakage into the respirator — and a mask model that fits one person well may not fit another person adequately. Households and organizations should not wait for an emergency before opening and examining their protective equipment.

What an Air-Purifying Gas Mask Cannot Do

A conventional gas mask filters surrounding air. It does not produce oxygen. Air-purifying respirators should not be treated as suitable for oxygen-deficient environments or for uncontrolled entry into atmospheres where the identity and concentration of a contaminant are unknown. NIOSH guidance distinguishes CBRN air-purifying respirators from self-contained systems and warns that air-purifying respirators are not intended as entry equipment for unknown or potentially extreme CBRN atmospheres. A gas mask also does not provide complete protection against blast, fragmentation, direct missile impact, oxygen displacement, chemicals absorbed through unprotected skin, fire and intense heat, or penetrating ionizing radiation. Respiratory protection is one defensive layer — not a substitute for shelter, evacuation, protective clothing, decontamination, medical treatment, or official instructions.

Why the Lesson Extends Beyond Ukraine

The central lesson from Ukraine is not limited to one army or one conflict. Relatively inexpensive drones and commercial components are spreading rapidly. The ability to deliver smoke, irritants, industrial chemicals, or other toxic substances is no longer restricted to major military powers. De Bretton-Gordon has also warned that advances in synthetic biology and the growing accessibility of scientific tools may expand biological risks beyond traditional state weapons programs. Governments, civil-defense authorities, emergency organizations, and households should not assume that chemical warfare disappeared after the twentieth century.

Civilian Preparedness Is Different from Battlefield Protection

A civilian's priority is generally different from a soldier's: move away from the hazard when instructed, enter an appropriate shelter, reduce exposure, and follow emergency-authority guidance. Nevertheless, the basic respiratory principles remain relevant. During an airborne chemical or particulate incident, a serviceable full-face mask with a suitable filter may provide an additional layer of protection during sheltering or evacuation. The equipment must be accessible — a mask stored in a remote location or buried beneath household items is of little value during a short-warning emergency.

Building a Practical Family Respiratory-Protection Kit

Adults: the Israeli 4A1 Black Diamond Simplex is a lightweight full-face mask manufactured in Israel, including a panoramic visor, standard 40mm threaded filter connection, hydration port, and adjustable head straps. CBRNMASKS.COM supplies genuine Israeli masks. The mask should be inspected before storage and familiarization should take place before any emergency.

Children, ages 2–8: the MAMTAK / Quartz child PAPR hood uses a protective hood and powered blower to provide positive airflow, reducing dependence on a conventional tight facial seal. Batteries, blower operation, hood condition, and filter installation should be checked in advance.

Infants and toddlers, ages 0–2: the Multipro infant protection system is designed for very young children who cannot reliably fit, tighten, or clear a standard gas mask by themselves.

Filters: CBRNMASKS.COM offers Israeli PA-12 and M80 Type 80 40mm filters, available individually and in multi-unit packages. Filter performance must always be evaluated according to the manufacturer's specification and the anticipated hazard. A sealed spare filter should remain protected from moisture, heat, physical damage, and unnecessary opening.

Explore the Israeli CBRN Family Bundle or the complete range at CBRNMASKS.COM. For bulk orders — civil-defense organizations, emergency-response groups, humanitarian organizations, municipal emergency departments — contact CBRNMASKS.COM directly.

The Strategic Lesson from Ukraine

Colonel de Bretton-Gordon's warning is powerful because it challenges the assumption that only sophisticated offensive weapons determine the outcome of modern warfare. A relatively simple chemical grenade can force unprotected personnel from a strong defensive position. A serviceable mask, correctly fitted and paired with a suitable filter, may allow them to remain protected — making respiratory protection both a medical measure and a strategic capability.

For civilians, institutions, and families, the lesson is simpler: chemical preparedness should not begin after the first confirmed incident. It should begin while there is still time to select suitable equipment, inspect it, understand its limitations, and make it accessible.

Protect Your Family

4A1 for adults, Sapphire for beards (or the Riot Control Kit at a lower entry price), MAMTAK / Quartz for ages 2–8, Multipro for infants. Sealed 40mm filters for every mask — also available as 2-pack, 3-pack, or 4-pack for multi-person households. Israeli CBRN Family Bundle for the complete household. CBRNMASKS.COM — Israeli civil-defense equipment, in service since 2009.

Primary Sources

Analysis and preparedness conclusions by David Magen — former Combat Investigation Officer, Doctrine and Training Division, IDF Operations Directorate; former Staff Officer, National Emergency Authority, continuity planning for local authorities, Haifa region. Founder of CBRNMASKS.COM since 2009. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, NATO, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, Forces News, and the OPCW are not affiliated with CBRNMASKS.COM and have not endorsed any product sold by it.

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