The poisoning of British citizen Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury two years ago sent shockwaves across the globe. Now, the UK is taking decisive action against Russia's alleged use of chemical weapons, announcing new sanctions against key individuals and scientific organisations linked to the deaths of Sturgess and Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
Seven Russians and two prominent research institutes - SC Signal and GNIII VM (the State Scientific Research and Testing Institute for Military Medicine) - are among those targeted by the UK's measures. They are accused of involvement in Russia's clandestine chemical weapons programme, which violates the Chemical Weapons Convention. GosNIIOKhT, another state scientific research institute, was previously sanctioned by the UK in October 2020.
Among those facing sanctions are Vladimir Kondratyev, who co-authored research on Epibatidine's toxic properties, and Andrei Antokhin and Viktor Taranchenko, who investigated Novichok nerve agents. The Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, described Russia's repeated use of chemical weapons as a "brazen breach of international law" that poses a direct threat to global security.
The UK's latest move comes ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara this week, where British officials will work with allies to strengthen collective security in response to what they describe as an increasingly reckless and aggressive Russia. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further strained relations between Moscow and its Western partners, who accuse Russia of undermining democratic principles and international stability.
The UK's sanctions are a clear signal that it remains committed to exposing and deterring Russia's illicit chemical weapons activities. This stance is shared by international partners, who at the Munich Security Conference in February issued a joint statement condemning Alexei Navalny's death in Russian custody as a "premeditated" act of poisoning.