Russian scientist who invented Novichok nerve agent dies after accusing Moscow of 'state-level' hit in Britain
Vladimir Uglev, the Russian scientist who invented the deadly Novichok nerve agent used in the Salisbury poisonings, has died in Russia at the age of 80.
Uglev died on October 26, but his death was only disclosed more than a week later by the independent Russian investigative outlet The Insider. The cause of death and the reason for the delay in announcing it remain unknown.
The scientist was part of a Soviet team that developed Novichok, known as A-234, which was used in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in March 2018. Dawn Sturgess, a British mother-of-three, died after coming into contact with the discarded nerve agent.
I have no doubt that it was 'A-234. Judging by the high purity of the sample, it is quite possible that it was a batch made by my own hands.'
Accusations against Moscow
Uglev publicly accused the Putin regime of using the chemical weapon in a 'state-level hit' on Britain. He described the Salisbury poisoning as 'a more serious act of terrorism' against a permanent UN member state.
After speaking out against the authorities, Uglev was knocked down by a car near his home in Anapa, suffering head and arm injuries. Despite fearing a deliberate attack, he claimed the collision was accidental.
He later became the target of false allegations that he was a paedophile, distributed in mock 'wanted poster' leaflets. Police investigated but found no evidence, with Uglev blaming Putin's secret services.
Navalny connection
Uglev also spoke out about the 2020 Novichok poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who survived but was later murdered in a Russian Arctic penal colony in February 2024.
He assisted independent investigators examining Russian intelligence services' use of chemical weapons, contradicting Kremlin denials in both the Skripal and Navalny cases.
While responsible for the development of the powerful toxin, in later years he was an outspoken critic of its use to target civilians.
Background and legacy
Born in Kirovsk in September 1946, Uglev trained as a chemist in Moscow before working at a secretive Soviet chemical weapons facility from 1975 to 1990, where he developed some of the earliest Novichok agents.
Despite the danger, Uglev continued to challenge Russian authorities, stating: 'Everyone is afraid, but you have to control your fear.' A British public inquiry in December 2025 concluded the Salisbury assassination operation was authorised by Putin himself.
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