Russia accused of using dart frog toxin to kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny

The outspoken Kremlin critic and opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a dart frog toxin, five European countries have claimed.

A joint statement, issued by the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands, says analysis of samples of Navalny’s body “confirmed the presence of epibatidine”.

According to the press release, epibatidine is a lethal neurotoxin that can only be found in poisonous wild dart frogs — a South American native species that is not naturally found in Russia.

Alexei Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony on 16 February 2024, where he had been serving a 19-year sentence since 2021.

Vladimir Putin’s most serious threat

Considered Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most serious threat, he was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport upon his return from Germany, where he was treated for Novichok nerve agent poisoning.

“Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment…, and we hold it responsible for his death,” the joint statement asserts.

Yvette Cooper, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, said the Kremlin regarded the prominent dissident as a threat and the methods used to remove him serve as evidence of the “overwhelming fear it has of political opposition”.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot paid tribute to Navalny, saying he was “killed for his fight in favour of a free and democratic Russia”.

UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, also praised the courage of the outspoken government critic, claiming his persistence in seeking to uncover the truth has left an “enduring legacy”. 

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Growing calls to hold the Russian regime accountable

Following the release of the findings, Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, thanked the five European countries for their effort, stating she had long been convinced her husband was poisoned and urging that Vladimir Putin be brought to justice.

In a statement, the UK’s Foreign Office said Russia must be held responsible for the repeated disregard of international law, citing Sergei Skripal’s poisoning with Novichok in Salisbury in 2018.

Cooper claimed that Russia breached the international chemical weapons rules again, as the country is confirmed to have had in possession the deadly dart frog toxin, which can be either synthetically produced or it can be found in a particular frog in Ecuador. 

The Foreign Office confirmed that Russia’s violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) was reported to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

They added that the Kremlin will not be allowed to develop such deadly biological substances without dire consequences.

“I am doing whatever it takes to defend our people, our values and our way of life from the threat of Russia and Putin’s murderous intent,” Starmer vowed.

Speaking to the BBC, the Foreign Secretary suggested that further sanctions could be imposed on Russia as part of the ongoing response to the invasion of Ukraine, adding that working closely with European and global allies is essential to maintaining pressure on Moscow.

Johann Wadephul, the German Foreign Minister, echoed the calls for justice, saying the outcome of the investigation must lead to consequences for Putin. 

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Russia denies accusations

The Russian government has repeatedly denied being involved in the sudden death of Navalny and has again dismissed the accusation, describing it as “nonsense” and a “Western propaganda hoax”.

“As with the Skripal case, there are strident accusations, media hysteria, zero evidence, and a host of questions the accusers would rather ignore,” the Russian Embassy to the UK said.

The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, also condemned the allegations, saying he considers the results of the investigation “biased and unfounded”.

Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, claimed the Federation will comment only after the test results and the formulas of the substances are shared.

“Until then, all such assertions are merely propaganda aimed at diverting attention from pressing Western issues,” she told TASS.

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