US sanctions four Russian operatives over Navalny poisoning

The U.S. sanctioned four Russians operatives Thursday over their alleged role in the August 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The four individuals — Alexey Alexandrovich Alexandrov, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, Ivan Vladimirovich Osipov and Vladimir Alexandrovich Panyaev — were all members of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), according to the Treasury Department.

“Today we remind Vladimir Putin and his regime that there are consequences not only for waging a brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine, but also for violating the human rights of the Russian people,” Brian Nelson, the under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement. 

“The assassination attempt against Aleksey Navalny in 2020 represents the Kremlin’s contempt for human rights, and we will continue to use the authorities at our disposal to hold the Kremlin’s willing would-be executioners to account,” he added.

Navalny fell ill during a flight to Moscow in August 2020, prompting an emergency landing and his hospitalization. It was later determined that the Russian opposition leader had been poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent.

Three of the four Russian operatives sanctioned Thursday were reportedly associated with the FSB Criminalistics Institute, a subunit of the security agency originally founded during the Soviet Union as a specialized laboratory, the Treasury Department said.

The administration said Alexandrov and Osipov were allegedly two of the main perpetrators of Navalny’s poisoning, while Panyaev reportedly tailed Navalny ahead of the attack. Kudryavtsev was allegedly part of the group involved in the poisoning and later admitted to his involvement in cleanup operation afterwards, Treasury said.

The State Department also announced corresponding visa restrictions against the four Russian operatives Thursday.

“Today’s actions are a reminder that there are consequences for violating internationally recognized human rights. The United States will continue to use the authorities at our disposal to promote accountability for such egregious acts,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long denied that Moscow was involved in the poisoning.