Britain has imposed fresh sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in Russia's chemical weapons program, targeting those responsible for creating the Novichok nerve agent used in the Salisbury poisonings and the Epibatidine toxin used to poison Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The sanctions, announced by the Foreign Office, include travel bans and asset freezes against seven individuals and two scientific research institutes. These measures are aimed at holding to account those involved in the development and synthesis of toxic chemicals.
Among those sanctioned are directors and technical specialists from organizations such as SC Signal, a Russian state scientific research institute, and the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT). Individuals named include Vladimir Kondratyev, who co-authored research on Epibatidine, and Andrei Antokhin and Viktor Taranchenko, who conducted research on Novichok agents.
The Novichok nerve agent was used in the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, which resulted in the death of Dawn Sturgess. Two Russian military intelligence officers are suspected of carrying out that attack. Britain has also blamed the Kremlin for the death of Alexei Navalny, who died in a Siberian penal colony in February 2024 after being poisoned with the Epibatidine toxin.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that Russia's repeated use of chemical weapons is a violation of international law and a threat to global security. She emphasized Britain's commitment to calling out Russia's violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention and working with allies to deter further use of such weapons.
These sanctions come ahead of an upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where Britain and its allies are scheduled to discuss strategies to counter the threat posed by Russia. The announcement also follows an incident last week where RAF fighter jets intercepted a Russian maritime patrol aircraft that approached the UK's Carrier Strike Group in the Norwegian Sea. The Russian plane dropped buoys near the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, an action the Ministry of Defence deemed unsafe and unprofessional.
The UK's Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed off Iceland under NATO command, comprising the HMS Prince of Wales, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, F-35 jets, and various helicopters, supported by the RFA Tidespring.