All Stockpiles of 'Novichok' Agents in Russia Has Been Destroyed, Says Naryshkin

All stockpiles of toxic substances belonging to the 'Novichok' group have been destroyed in Russia, stated Sergey Naryshkin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, according to TASS news agency.

“These (military toxic agents) have been destroyed in accordance with the provisions and regulations of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This has been carried out in accordance with the established procedures. Thus, statements that there is production of military toxic agents or old stockpiles in Russia are, of course, misinformation,” he said.

The head of the Russian intelligence further claimed that no toxic substances were found in Alexei Navalny’s body at the time of his departure from the country. “The fact is that at the moment when Alexei Navalny was leaving Russian territory, no toxic substances were detected in his body,” he stated.

It is recalled that Navalny's health suddenly deteriorated on August 20 during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. The aircraft making the trip made an emergency landing in Omsk, where he was hospitalized at the emergency hospital number one. Medical specialists at the hospital found no traces of poison in Navalny's body. According to them, tests only revealed traces of alcohol and caffeine. It is known that Navalny drank tea at a café in the airport before the flight.

On August 22, Navalny was flown to the Charité hospital in Berlin, where specialists later announced he had been poisoned, and German Armed Forces experts found traces of toxic substances belonging to the 'Novichok' group in samples of skin, blood, and urine.