United Kingdom sanctions Russian scientists over Novichok and Epibatidine chemical weapons

On 6 July 2026 the United Kingdom announced sanctions targeting seven Russian nationals and two state‑run research institutes, SC Signal and GNIII VM. The Foreign Office alleges the individuals were involved in developing the Novichok nerve agent used in the 2018 Salisbury poisoning that killed Dawn Sturgess, and the Epibatidine toxin linked to the 2024 death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The measures impose asset freezes and travel bans and are described by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper as a "sickening violation of international law and a direct threat to global security". The sanctions arrive ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara and bring the UK's total sanctions list to more than 3,400 persons and organisations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The move follows a similar EU sanction package announced three days earlier against Russian scientists involved in the same chemical‑weapons programmes.