House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Russia Chemical Weapons
06 July 2026 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Proposed by Stephen Doughty Lab Cardiff South and Penarth
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- Stephen Doughty is addressing the recent poisoning of Alexei Navalny in Russia with a lethal toxin.
- The UK government is imposing new sanctions on two Russian institutions and key individuals for their involvement in toxic chemical development.
- These sanctions are in response to Russia's violation of international conventions on chemical and biological weapons.
Issue summary
Stephen Doughty is addressing the recent poisoning of Alexei Navalny in Russia using a lethal toxin and the broader pattern of Russian use of chemical weapons.
Action requested
The UK government is implementing new sanctions targeting two Russian institutions and key individuals involved in developing toxic chemicals, in response to Russia's violation of international conventions on chemical and biological weapons. These measures build upon existing sanctions for chemical weapon usage in Ukraine.
Key facts
- Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Epibatidine while in custody.
- Previous incidents include the poisoning of Navalny with Novichok in 2020 and the Salisbury attack on the Skripals in 2018, resulting in Dawn Sturgess's death.
- The UK is imposing sanctions under its Chemical Weapons regime to target Russian institutions and individuals responsible for developing lethal toxins and nerve agents.
- Russia has not destroyed all chemical weapons as claimed in 2017 and has not renounced biological weapons.