The United Kingdom has announced sanctions against the scientists and organisations linked to the development of the Novichok nerve agent, the chemical weapon used in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning assassination attempt.
The highly toxic nerve agent was responsible for the death of Dawn Sturgess and was also used in the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal.
In a separate move, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office imposed sanctions on Russian individuals connected to the development of the Epibatidine toxin, which was reportedly used against Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition politician and critic of Vladimir Putin.
Yvette Cooper said: “Russia’s repeated use of chemical weapons is a sickening violation of international law and a direct threat to global security.”
“From the use of Novichok nerve agents in Salisbury to Epibatidine in Siberia, poisoning Dawn Sturgess and Alexei Navalny, Russia continues to use barbaric tools to inflict death and suffering on innocent civilians, including in Ukraine.
“We will continue to call out Russia’s violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, hold those responsible to account, and work with allies to deter further use of these dangerous weapons.”
The new sanctions introduce asset freezes and travel bans on seven individuals, along with two Russian research organisations.
The measures specifically target SC Signal, a government-owned scientific research institute, and GNIII VM, Russia’s state institute for military medical research and testing.
Those sanctioned include scientists Andrei Antokhin and Viktor Taranchenko, who were involved in research on the Novichok nerve agent, as well as Vladimir Kondratyev, who co-authored a study examining the toxic properties of Epibatidine.
The sanctions list also names Artur Zhirov, director of SC Signal; Sergei Chepur, head of GNIII VM; Alexsandr Makhlay, SC Signal’s chief scientist; and Ivan Kravstov, who leads the institute’s Fourth Scientific Research Department.
Dawn Sturgess, 44, lost her life after coming into contact with the Novichok nerve agent, which had been concealed inside a discarded perfume bottle discovered in Amesbury in July 2018.
The incident occurred months after the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia Skripal, and police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March 2018.
Investigators concluded that operatives from Russia’s GRU applied the Novichok nerve agent to the front door handle of Skripal’s home, exposing the victims to the toxic substance.
Investigators believe Alexander Petrov, 46, and Ruslan Boshirov, 47, travelled together to Salisbury to carry out the poisoning, with support from a third operative known as Sergey Fedotov, an alias used by GRU officer Denis Sergeev.
Authorities have also identified Petrov as being the assumed identity of Alexander Mishkin, who is believed to have served as a doctor for Russia’s GRU.
Authorities have identified Boshirov as an alias for Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga.
Alexei Navalny died in a penal colony in Siberia in 2024 after reportedly being targeted with Epibatidine, a toxin derived from the poison of a dart frog.
