Alexei Navalny was poisoned, UK says, blaming Russia for his death
Late Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was poisoned by Russia with a deadly toxic found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs, “highly likely” leading to his death, the UK Foreign Office has just said.
Flowers are seen placed around portraits of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian Arctic prison, at a makeshift memorial in front of the former Russian consulate in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany in 2024. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
“Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it responsible for his death,” the UK government said.
“Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia. There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny’s body,” it added.
The investigation into his death was conducted by the UK “with partners from Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Germany.”
The UK has reported the poisoning to the Organisation for the prohibition of Chemical Weapons, alleging a “flagrant violation” of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia.
The news comes just days before the second anniversary of Navalny’s death in a penal colony in Siberia, and as officials and security experts meet at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the threat Russia continues to pose to Europe, among other things.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Since Yulia Navalnaya announced the loss of her husband here in Munich two years ago, the UK has pursued the truth of Alexei Navalny’s death with fierce determination.
…
“Today, beside his widow, the UK is shining a light on the Kremlin’s barbaric plot to silence his voice.”
‘Putin must bear responsibility’: Navalny’s wife reacts to news of her husband’s death – videoShare
Updated at 08.13 EST
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‘Now there is proof: Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon,’ Navalnaya says
Yulia Navalnaya has just responded to the UK statement on her social media channels:
“Scientists from five European countries have established: my husband, Alexei Navalny, was poisoned with epibatidine – a neurotoxin, one of the deadliest poisons on earth. In nature, this poison can be found on the skin of the Ecuadorian dart frog. It causes paralysis, respiratory arrest, and a painful death.
I was certain from the first day that my husband had been poisoned, but now there is proof: Putin killed Alexei with chemical weapon.
I am grateful to the European states for the meticulous work they carried out over two years and for uncovering the truth.
Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
ShareExtraordinary moment as UK confirms Navalny was poisoned by Russia two years on – snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
in Munich
This is an extraordinary moment.
You will remember that the news of Navalny’s death two years ago broke during the very same event, the Munich Security Conference, which was attended by his wife, Yulia Navalnaya.
As we reported at the time,
“As officials at the conference were taking in the news, Navalnaya unexpectedly took to the stage, addressing a crowd of politicians and diplomats just after the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.
Standing at a podium usually reserved for senior politicians, Navalnaya said: “I thought: should I stand here before you or should I go back to my children? And then I thought: what would have Alexei done in my place? And I’m sure that he would have been standing here on this stage.”
‘Putin must bear responsibility’: Navalny’s wife reacts to news of her husband’s death – video
Last year, Navalnaya claimed that two foreign laboratories had confirmed her husband was poisoned, after tests on biological samples secretly smuggled out of Russia.
But this is the first time we have a European government formally confirming that they believe Navalny was poisoned and “highly likely” died as a direct result of the poisoining, specifically pointing finger at the Russian administration.
I am sure we will get plenty reactions to this news this afternoon.
ShareAlexei Navalny was poisoned, UK says, blaming Russia for his death
Late Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was poisoned by Russia with a deadly toxic found in the skin of Ecuador dart frogs, “highly likely” leading to his death, the UK Foreign Office has just said.
Flowers are seen placed around portraits of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian Arctic prison, at a makeshift memorial in front of the former Russian consulate in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany in 2024. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
“Only the Russian state had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin to target Navalny during his imprisonment in a Russian penal colony in Siberia, and we hold it responsible for his death,” the UK government said.
“Epibatidine can be found naturally in dart frogs in the wild in South America. Dart frogs in captivity do not produce this toxin and it is not found naturally in Russia. There is no innocent explanation for its presence in Navalny’s body,” it added.
The investigation into his death was conducted by the UK “with partners from Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Germany.”
The UK has reported the poisoning to the Organisation for the prohibition of Chemical Weapons, alleging a “flagrant violation” of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia.
The news comes just days before the second anniversary of Navalny’s death in a penal colony in Siberia, and as officials and security experts meet at the Munich Security Conference to discuss the threat Russia continues to pose to Europe, among other things.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Since Yulia Navalnaya announced the loss of her husband here in Munich two years ago, the UK has pursued the truth of Alexei Navalny’s death with fierce determination.
…
“Today, beside his widow, the UK is shining a light on the Kremlin’s barbaric plot to silence his voice.”
‘Putin must bear responsibility’: Navalny’s wife reacts to news of her husband’s death – videoShare
Updated at 08.13 EST
Asked about his 2026 predictions, or for the next six months, Zelenskyy says his more immediate concern is about “tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”
He says Ukraine will continue talks on peace, and hopefully they will involve more European leaders.
He also says he will keep pushing for Ukraine to join the EU, even as some EU leaders don’t seem to like his repeated requests to get a clear date for it.
He says without a clear commitment, Putin will do everything he can to derail the accession process, “by his hands or hands of some not big countries,” which can only be read as another swipe at Orbán’s Hungary.
He says he is thankful for the continued support, but “we can’t save our lives by saying thank you” as he needs strong security guarantees to keep Ukraine safe after the war.
He says unity will be critical, and the role of the US is “important” as “they only have to make Ukraine stronger than Russia.”
And that concludes the session.
Nato’s Rutte told EU lawmakers last month that if they think Europe can defend itself without the US, they are “dreaming.”
Does he still think that?
He says he sees “a total unity of vision” between the US and Europe, which makes such discussions speculative and unnecessary.
US senator Wicker offers his take on the state of negotiations, as he says that Putin “has not yet negotiated in good faith, never once.”
He says:
“Vladimir Putin started this war. He’s a war criminal, and as you’ve pointed out, he started committing more war crimes this year, by attacking civilians.
He will begin to negotiate in good faith only when he is hurting.”
Nato’s Rutte gets asked about security guarantees, and his response to the Russian claim – somewhat repeated today by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi – that there are “historical reasons” for the invasion.
He says strongly that “there was absolutely no reason whatsoever for the Russians to invade Ukraine,” whether in 2014 in Crimea or in 2022 with the full-scale invasion.
On security guarantees, he repeats his main line from this conference that there is “a huge shift in mindset within Nato” as “the Europeans take more responsibility for their own defence.”
He says the key thing is to “make sure that Putin will never, ever to try invade again.”
As is now usual for his public statements, he also defends Trump’s record on negotiating with Russia, and says he remains the only leader that can get Putin to move.
ShareZelenskyy says he feels ‘little bit’ of US pressure, but there are limits to compromises he can offer
Zelenskyy gets asked about Trump’s latest comments, in which the US president said he should “get moving” and get a deal with Russia.
Is he feeling the pressure?
“A little bit,” he says with a bit of a smile.
He says he understands these signals from Trump, but says Ukraine keeps compromising on several issues.
He says he is ready to discuss many issues, but Ukraine cannot just “run away” from its own territory with hundreds of thousands of people as “a compromise.”
“We don’t hear compromises from Russian side. We want to hear from them something,” he says.
He also gets asked about recent media reporting that the US keeps pushing Ukraine to hold elections, and repeats his pledge from last night: if the US secures a ceasefire for two-three months, he will hold the election.
He then pointedly jokes:
“We can also [offer] ceasefire for Russians if they will do elections in Russia.”
US Republican senator Roger F. Wicker says “what we need specifically is we need to unleash the Tomahawk missiles” on Russia.
“That’s a message that will come from the Congress, [but] it’s the decision of the administration,” he says.
He also urges further sanctions on Russian oil producers.
He says the US public opinion is increasingly supportive of Ukraine, including among Republican voters.
European parliament’s president Roberta Metsola says she will sign off the EU’s €90bn loan to Ukraine next week, which she says was agreed “at an unprecedented speed.”
She highlights extraordinary levels of solidarity with Ukraine, as demonstrated by loud cheers for Ukrainian athletes during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games earlier this month.
She says the EU continues to work on its response, working on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, too.
And she declares her support for Ukraine’s membership of the EU (which continues to be blocked by Hungary, in particular.)