Germany’s lab found traces of a Novichok-type nerve agent in Navalny’s skin, blood, and urine samples, journalists report

The German military’s toxicology lab found traces of a poisonous substance from the Novichok group in skin, blood, and urine samples taken from Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

According to the German weekly Der Spiegel, this was reported by the German Defense Ministry’s State Secretary Gerd Hoofe during a closed meeting with members of the German parliament.

Der Spiegel says that although minimal traces of the toxic substance were found in Navalny’s samples, the test results are reliable.

According to Der Spiegel, traces of the poisonous substances were also found on a bottle that Navalny had with him, which his relatives handed over to doctors in Berlin. Presumably, Navalny drank from the bottle after he was poisoned, leaving behind traces of the toxin.

Opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny was on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow when he fell violently ill on August 20. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, where he was hospitalized in a coma; two days later he was transferred to Germany for treatment. 

On September 2, the German officials confirmed that Navalny was poisoned with a substance from the Novichok group of nerve agents. The confirmation came from tests conducted at a toxicology lab run by the German military, at the request of doctors at the Charité Hospital in Berlin, where Navalny remains in intensive care.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Navalny the victim of a crime and demanded an explanation from Russia. The European Union and the United States have both threatened sanctions over Navalny’s poisoning. Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that it sees no grounds for accusations against the Russian government.