For decades, scientists, spies and chemical weapons specialists have known about and feared the lethal substance.
Few people had heard of the nerve agent Novichok until 2018, when Western officials accused Russia of having used it in the attempted assassination of a former spy in Britain. It returned abruptly to the, when Germany said the poison had sickened Russian dissident Alexei A. Navalny.
British intelligence agencies identified the toxin as Novichok and accused Russia. The attack became a major international scandal, further chilling relations between Moscow and the West. The British identified Russian agents who they said had flown into Britain, applied the toxin to the front door handle of Skripal’s house and left the country, leaving a trail of video and chemical evidence.
Time and time again, people seen as enemies of the Kremlin have been killed, both in Russia and abroad. Russian spies have a long history of using poisons in assassinations, and Western intelligence officials say Russia has spy units specially trained in the handling and deployment of the most dangerous substances.
Nerve agent poisoning can be treated with the chemicals atropine and oxime, but even if the treatment is successful, victims can suffer lasting damage.
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