Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin, the UK and European allies have said.
Two years on from the death of Navalny at a Siberian penal colony, Britain and its allies have blamed the Kremlin following analysis of material samples found on his body.
There is no innocent explanation for the toxin, called epibatidine, being found in samples taken from Navalny's body, the UK Foreign Office said.
Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized, Only the Russian government had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy this lethal toxin against Alexei Navalny during his imprisonment in Russia.
While Cooper announced the findings, a joint statement was issued by the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Cooper met with Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya at the conference this weekend and praised the late opposition leader's courage.
The statement by allied nations asserted: 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.
Epibatidine, which can be naturally found in dart frogs from South America, is not produced in captivity and is not found naturally in Russia, raising further concerns over its presence.
The Foreign Office indicated that the UK has informed the Organisation on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of Russia's alleged breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer praised Navalny's bravery and declared a commitment to defend democratic values against threats from Russia. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also acknowledged Navalny's sacrifice for a free and democratic Russia.
Navalny, an anti-corruption activist, died on 16 February 2024 at 47, having been previously poisoned with a nerve agent in 2020. His wife has consistently claimed that her husband was targeted by the Russian government while imprisoned. The Kremlin has yet to respond to the latest allegations.
