What is Known About the New Wave of Poisonings of Journalists and Activists in Europe

Irina Babloyan, an Armenian journalist with Echo of Moscow, believes she was poisoned with a neurotoxic substance in Tbilisi last October. The information is reported by The Insider, detailing that Babloyan traveled from Moscow to the capital of Georgia in mid-October and stayed at the King Tamar hotel. On the evening of October 25, her health deteriorated, and she woke up the next day feeling very weak and dizzy. By the evening of October 26, the palms of her hands turned violet, and she felt a burning sensation as if fire were raging in her hands. Despite these symptoms, Irina decided to continue her journey to Yerevan, leaving on the night of October 27 by car. During the drive, she felt increasingly ill, her mind clouded, and unable to focus. "I was lying down, but the feeling of fatigue wouldn’t leave me. I felt as if my body was no longer mine; it had turned to cotton, and I was extremely anxious," she recounted.

The source notes that drawing conclusions about poisoning in Irina Babloyan's case is difficult, as there is very little medical research available. However, according to experts interviewed by The Insider, the clinical picture described by Irina cannot be convincingly explained by any known illness, making the theory of exogenous poisoning appear more likely.

The next journalist to report an attempted poisoning is Elena Kostyuchenko. The former journalist for Novaya Gazeta recounted that she was likely poisoned in the autumn of 2022 when she arrived in Germany after a trip to Ukraine. It turned out that over the past year, journalists and activists who had fled Russia have faced a whole wave of poisonings. Kostyuchenko found herself in Germany after being unable to return to Russia from her assignment in Ukraine. She became one of the few Russian journalists who managed to cross the border and published four major articles, including one about life in occupied Kherson. After that, she was informed that her life was in danger, and she needed to evacuate from Ukraine, making a return to Russia impossible.

Months after her relocation, Kostyuchenko began to feel unwell at the Munich train station. Her health sharply deteriorated afterward. "I woke up with stomach pain. It was strange—very strong but not sharp, as if it were switched on and off. I tried to sit up and lie down again. My head was spinning, as if the room were rotating. Then I noticed swelling on my fingers. I struggled to remove my rings and couldn’t put them back on. My fingers resembled sausages. My legs began to swell. The swelling increased; my jawline disappeared, and my face was not my face anymore," she disclosed.

Natalya Arno, the president of the Free Russia Foundation, which supports activists, journalists, and democratic organizations, was preparing her own analyses, including the development of sanctions against those close to Putin and accomplices in Putin's crimes. On May 2, 2023, Natalya Arno attended a non-public and unannounced event in Prague, after which around 7:30 PM, she returned to the Garden Court hotel and found her room door ajar. The reception informed her that the maid likely left it open and promised to look into it. At around two in the morning, Natalya went to sleep, but at 5 AM, woke up in horrific pain. Her teeth and tongue were sore, leading her initially to think she might just have some unusual dental pain, but it was too severe and persistent. A few hours later, the pain began to spread throughout her body, as if it was "walking" from one part to another, then felt in her ears, chest, under her arms, and along her spine within minutes.

Investigations into these incidents are ongoing. In recent years, there have been several attempts to poison Kremlin opponents both abroad and in Russia. Among the most notorious cases are the poisoning of former Federal Security Service officer Alexander Litvinenko, who died from acute radiation syndrome in London in November 2006, and political figure Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned on August 20, 2020, and whose life was saved abroad.

More details can be read on The Insider.