The United Kingdom and several allied countries have accused Russia of assassinating Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny using a poison derived from a rare frog toxin, according to statements from British officials.
Investigation Points to Rare Toxic Substance
Two years after Navalny’s death in a penal colony in Siberia, the British Foreign Office said laboratory analysis of material samples taken from his body detected traces of epibatidine, a highly toxic substance derived from frog venom.
According to British authorities, there is no innocent explanation for the presence of this toxin, suggesting deliberate poisoning. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that “only the Russian government had the means, motive, and opportunity to use this deadly toxin against Navalny during his imprisonment.”
Allies Join Accusations
The UK’s claims have been supported by several European allies, including Sweden, France, Netherlands, and Germany.
British officials also confirmed that the UK has notified the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons about Russia’s alleged violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Navalny Seen as Major Political Threat
During the conference, Cooper also met with Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, emphasizing that Russian authorities viewed her husband as a significant political threat. She added that the alleged use of such an unusual poisoning method demonstrates deep state fear toward political opposition.
Navalny, widely recognized as Russia’s most prominent anti-corruption activist and opposition figure, died on February 16, 2024, at the age of 47. In 2020, he survived a poisoning attempt involving the nerve agent Novichok, received medical treatment in Germany, and was arrested immediately after returning to Russia.
