- Title: EXPLAINER: What we know about the dart frog toxin that allegedly killed Navalny?
- Date: 16th February 2026
- Summary: The conflict risked dragging in the big regional powers, Russia and Turkey, and destabilising the South Caucasus region, an important corridor for pipelines carrying oil and gas. Moscow has a defence alliance with Armenia, while Ankara backs Azerbaijan as they are bound by strong ethnic, cultural and historic ties. ISTANBUL, TURKEY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 28, 2020) (TURKISH PRES
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: BRITAIN DART FROG NAVALNAYA NAVALNY POISON RUSSIA
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001589616022026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Five European allies on Saturday (February 14) blamed Russia of killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs - an accusation rejected by Moscow - but how does the toxin work?
WHAT HAVE EUROPEAN ALLIES SAID
In a joint statement, Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said analysis of samples from Navalny's body "conclusively" confirmed the presence of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America and not found naturally in Russia.
Britain said the poisoning demonstrated "an alarming pattern of behavior." The country held a public inquiry into the poisoning in Britain of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018. It concluded last year Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the Novichok nerve agent attack.
HOW HAS RUSSIA REACTED
The Kremlin on Monday rejected accusations from five European countries that the Russian state had killed late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny two years ago using toxin from poison dart frogs, saying the claims were "not based on anything."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday (February 16) that Moscow took a very negative view of the European allegations, which he said were false.
Russian authorities, who have outlawed Navalny's movement as extremist, have previously rejected accusations from his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, that the state had killed him, saying he died of natural causes.
HOW STRONG IS THE TOXIN
Dr. Eric Franssen, a clinical pharmacologist and toxicologist, told Reuters that the toxin is very potent, adding that less than half a milligram of the compound can be deadly for a human being of 70 kilograms.
The poison can be extracted from the skin of dart frogs, Franssen said, but in principle it can also be synthesized in a lab from raw materials. However Franssen said that it's a complex process to create the toxin from the raw materials.
HOW IS THE TOXIN DETECTED POST-MORTEM
Franssen said that toxins can normally be detected through comprehensive toxicology screenings of blood and urine samples, as well as analysis of organ tissues - for example, the lungs, heart or live - after autopsy. It is also possible to calculate the concentration of the toxin through organ analysis, and ascertain if a lethal amount was ingested.
HOW IS THE TOXIN ADMINISTERED
Franssen told Reuters that the most straightforward away to administer the toxin is a direct injection into the bloodstream, as it will act immediately. However it can be ingested via the stomach, but more is needed to make the toxin effective, Franssen said.
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