Britain slaps Russia with fresh sanctions on chemical weapons developers behind Novichok poisonings

The sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, apply to seven individuals and two research institutes

The UK Government has imposed fresh sanctions on the scientists and institutions behind the development of a Novichok nerve agent used in the 2018 Salisbury assassination plot.

Dawn Sturgess died during the incident after coming into contact with the poison used in an attempted assassination of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

The new sanctions announced by the Foreign Office also targeted the Russians involved in the development of the Epibatidine toxin used against Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader and critic of Vladimir Putin.

Foreign Secretary 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 sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, apply to seven individuals and two research institutes.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office aim to "shine a light" on Russia’s "heinous violation" of the Chemical Weapons Convention, urging Russia to "stop this deadly activity".

Ahead of this week's Nato Summit in Ankara, Turkey, the UK Government seeks to expose and deter Russia’s "barbaric use of chemical weapons both on and off the battlefield".

At the Summit in this week, the UK will join Nato allies in strengthening collective security to tackle the long-term threat posed by an "increasingly reckless and dangerous Russia".

The Foreign Office said: "Its egregious and irresponsible actions, including the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine, continue to undermine democracy."

The sanctions come after partners united at the Munich Security Conference in February to confirm the circumstances around the death of Alexei Navalny in Russian custody.

The Foreign Office said only the Russian state had the "means, motive and opportunity" to deploy the lethal toxin to target Mr Navalny, and the UK holds it responsible for his death.

Individuals were sanctioned from Russian state scientific research institute SC Signal, the State Scientific Research and Testing Institute for Military Medicine GNIII VM, and the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology GosNIIOKhT.

The latter was already sanctioned by the UK in October 2020.

Individuals sanctioned include Vladimir Kondratyev, who co-authored a paper on the testing of Epibatidine focusing on its toxic qualities, as well as Andrei Antokhin and Viktor Taranchenko who conducted research on Novichok nerve agents.

The UK is expected to reaffirm this week that Nato stands ready to defend its citizens against the long-term threat posed by Russia, and continue to offer support for Ukraine.

The UK Government has now sanctioned more than 3,400 individuals and organisations in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and will "continue to expose and combat its hostile activity at every opportunity".