Full Breakdown
UK Sanctions Russian Scientists and Institutes Over Chemical Weapons Used in Navalny and Skripal Cases
7/6/2026, 11:02:30 PM
Sanctions Announced Ahead of NATO Summit
On 6 July 2024 the United Kingdom froze assets and imposed travel bans on seven Russian individuals and two research institutes it said helped develop Novichok nerve agents and the Epibatidine toxin used in 2018 Salisbury attack, the 2020 and 2024 poisonings of Alexei Navalny, and the 2018 death of Dawn Sturgess. The move preceded NATO summit in Ankara (7-8 July).
Historical Use of Russian Chemical Agents
Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent, was used in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning of spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, killing Dawn Sturgess. Western labs linked the 2020 Siberian illness of Alexei Navalny to Novichok; Russian officials attribute his 2024 death to the frog-derived toxin Epibatidine.
Sanctioned Institutes and Individuals
The UK named SC Signal, GNIII VM and GosNIIOKhT. Directors Artur Zhirov, Vladimir Kondratyev, Sergei Chepur and scientists Andrei Antokhin, Viktor Taranchenko, Aleksandr Makhlay and Ivan Kravstov were listed. The total is seven people and two institutes.
Official Statements & Rationale
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the sanctions aim to expose and deter Russia’s illegal chemical-weapons programme, uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention and strengthen security at the NATO summit. She added that European Union had already taken similar steps and that measures freeze assets and block travel for the listed persons.
Criticism & Russian Response
The Russian embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment, and Russian officials continue to deny that the Kremlin was behind Navalny’s 2024 death.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
One source reports nine sanctioned individuals, another reports seven, creating a count discrepancy. The toxin is spelled “Epibatidine” in most reports but appears as “epivatidine” in a Balkan-Web article. Russian officials continue to deny responsibility.
Verbatim Quotes
> "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," — Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary
> "Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny, and the UK holds it responsible for his death." — Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary
> "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." — Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary
> "This activity was unsafe and unprofessional. The Russian aircraft was intercepted and escorted by two UK F-35 jets from HMS Prince of Wales until it left the area," — UK Defence Ministry statement
What’s Next
The United Kingdom will raise the sanctions at the NATO summit in Ankara (7-8 July 2024) and at the OPCW executive council meeting (7-10 July 2024). Officials said further measures could follow if new evidence of chemical-weapon use emerges.
