What Is Epibatidine — The Toxin Found in Navalny’s Case?

Western governments have accused Russia of deploying a rare and highly potent toxin in the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, after forensic analysis reportedly detected epibatidine in samples from his body.

Epibatidine is a powerful neurotoxin associated with Ecuadorian poison dart frogs, capable of causing death in extremely small doses. Scientists say the compound can be synthetically produced in advanced laboratories, meaning it does not need to be sourced from its natural habitat.

Navalny died in February 2024 in a remote Arctic penal colony while serving a 30½-year prison sentence. Russian authorities said he fell ill after a walk, while Moscow has consistently denied involvement in any wrongdoing.

A joint statement by the U.K., France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said only a state actor would likely possess the technical capability to synthesize and deploy such a substance safely. The case has been referred to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The allegation adds to a history of high-profile poisoning cases linked by Western governments to Russia, including the 2006 polonium poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury. The Kremlin has denied responsibility in all instances.