An international organization that works to eliminate the use of chemical weapons announced on Tuesday that biomarkers with “similar structural characteristics” to a Soviet-era nerve agent were found in samples of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s blood and urine.
The Tuesday announcement from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said that it sent its findings to Germany on Monday concerning “requested technical assistance in regard to the poisoning of Mr Alexei Navalny, on 20 August 2020.”
Germany requested assistance on Sept. 4 “in relation to the suspected poisoning of a Russian citizen,” according to a note by the OPCW’s technical secretariat.
In the report sent to Germany, the OPCW confirmed that the samples contained “biomarkers of the cholinesterase inhibitor found in Mr Navalny’s blood and urine samples” that have “similar structural characteristics” to Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent that was used to target former Soviet double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March 2018.
The report also noted that “this cholinesterase inhibitor is not listed in the Annex on Chemicals to the Convention.”
OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias said that these results “constitute a matter of grave concern,” according to the report, which added that “it is therefore important now for States Parties to uphold the norm they have decided to adhere to more than 25 years ago.”
The OPCW’s independent findings corroborate the conclusions of laboratories in Germany, France, and Sweden, according to the New York Times. It strengthens international claims, including from Navalny himself, that Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically were behind the attack.
The Kremlin has denied the claims and accused Navalny of working for Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA.
Navalny was hospitalized in Serbia on Aug. 20 after falling ill and losing consciousness while on a plane. He was transferred to a hospital in Germany two days later after Russian authorities refused to release him. Navalny said he believes that he was poisoned with a cup of tea at the airport before the flight departed.
With the OPCW’s findings, Germany could repeat the actions taken by Britain following Skripal’s poisoning and use the independent conclusions to retaliate against Russia. In 2018, after a similar report from the OPCW, the United States alone expelled 60 Russian officials in coordination with two dozen other countries.
Since being taken to Germany, Navalny has posted pictures of himself walking and said that his path to recovery is “clear.”
