On Saturday, February 14, 2026, five European countries, including the United Kingdom, stated that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned by a substance made from dart frog venom. This toxin is found on dart frogs in Ecuador.
Navalny died in a Siberian prison in 2024 and was buried in the outskirts of Moscow. Two years later, the UK and its allies pointed fingers at the Kremlin after analyzing samples found on his body.
The UK Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday that a nerve toxin called Novichok was found in Navalny’s body samples, with no reasonable explanation. This type of toxin is classified as a chemical weapon and is considered “one of the deadliest poisons on Earth,” being 200 times more potent than morphine, causing paralysis, respiratory difficulties, and death.
At a press conference held during a security meeting in Munich, Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, along with foreign ministers from the UK, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, announced this discovery. “I find it hard to find the right words,” Navalnaya said in English, her expression visibly sad. She had previously accused Russia of poisoning her husband.
“When the news of Navalny’s death came on February 16, 2024, I was attending the Munich Security Conference,” Navalnaya said. “It was the most terrifying day of my life. I walked to the stage and announced that my husband Navalny was poisoned. Putin’s number one enemy languishing in a Russian prison, what else could happen?” She continued, “But now I understand, this is not just talk, now we have scientific evidence.”
Russian authorities claimed that the death of this dissident showed no signs of suspicion, attributing it to various overlapping health issues, including cardiac arrhythmia.
British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper stated during a press conference at the Munich Security Conference, “Through the collaborative efforts of the UK, Sweden, and other partners, we have confirmed the presence of a deadly toxin in Navalny.” She added, “This toxin has been identified as dart frog venom. Only the Russian government had the capability, motive, and opportunity to use this lethal toxin on Navalny during his imprisonment in Russia.”
She further emphasized, “The Russian government’s use of this poison demonstrates their despicable tactics and extreme fear of political dissent.”
“The reason we are here today is to expose the barbaric attempts by the Kremlin to silence Navalny,” said the British Foreign Minister.
The aforementioned four countries, along with France, have jointly accused Russia of poisoning and plan to submit the investigation results to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
According to reports from British media, scientists from the Bolton-Tang Institute in the UK played a crucial role in uncovering the frog poison conspiracy.
It is currently unknown how they obtained samples from Mr. Navalny’s body for toxin testing. Mrs. Navalnaya had previously stated that these samples were smuggled out of Russia.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard explained the importance of determining the true cause of Navalny’s death. “This is crucial for holding Russia accountable and continuing to expose their ongoing lies,” she said. “We will now submit this information to the OPCW… this is another way to increase pressure on Russia.”
The Russian government had previously been accused of attempting to use the Novichok nerve agent in 2020 to murder Navalny — Russia was believed to have tried to use the same chemical weapon on the streets of Salisbury in 2018 to assassinate former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, which ultimately failed.
Navalny survived the initial poisoning and returned to Russia after recovering in Germany, only to be arrested and imprisoned by the authorities thereafter.