UK sanctions seven people, two institutes involved in Russia's chemical weapons programme
The United Kingdom has announced that it has placed sanctions on seven individuals and two leading scientific research institutes that it says are involved in Russia's chemical weapons programme.
In a press release issued on Monday 6 July, the UK government wrote that the sanctions specifically target those involved in researching, developing and producing the deadly toxin Epibatidine and Novichok nerve agents used to poison Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny and British national Dawn Sturgess.
Those sanctioned include directors and technical specialists at leading scientific research institutes involved in Russia’s development and synthesis of toxic chemicals, the UK government said.
These institutes include SC Signal, a Russian state scientific research institute; GNIII VM, the State Scientific Research and Testing Institute for Military Medicine. GosNIIOKhT, the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology, was sanctioned by the UK in October 2020.
Meanwhile, the newly sanctioned individuals 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 has now sanctioned over 3,400 individuals and organisations in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The full list of newly sanctioned people and entities can be viewed here.
