Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 6 October, the International Agency for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published a report on the results of a study on the "case of A. Navalny". According to the conclusions of the OPCW experts, the Russian oppositionist was poisoned with a "toxic substance" having a similar structure to two "prohibited toxic substances" of the "Novichok" group.

The OPCW investigation was carried out in accordance with the appeal of Germany on 4 September on suspicion of poisoning a Russian citizen. In a report sent to Germany, the OPCW confirmed that the samples found in A. Navalny’s blood and urine samples contained cholinesterase inhibitor biomarkers, which have structural characteristics similar to the toxic substance of the Novichok group.

As reported by The New York Times, at the same time as the report was made public, 44 countries (USA, UK and all EU countries) issued a joint statement, in which they strongly condemned the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon. They called on Russia to investigate the poisoning and cooperate with OPCW technical experts.

Of the 193 OPCW member states, less than half of the countries participating in the Convention voted for the adoption of the statement, the rest voted against or abstained. However, according to the rules of the OPCW, the decision was declared adopted.

British Mail Online reports that leading Western countries unanimously support the report’s findings. Thus, the German ambassador to the OPCW called on Russia to provide an explanation for the use of a military-level nerve agent "in a reckless act against a Russian citizen on Russian territory."

The British delegation also points out that there is no doubt that opposition leader A. Navalny was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent and supported the demand for answers. At the same time, the US representative demanded an end to Russia’s "contemptuous attitude" towards international norms prohibiting the use of chemical weapons.

In turn, according to TASS, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OPCW stressed that his country "owes nothing to anyone: neither Germany, nor other countries." As the Russian diplomat pointed out, until a dialogue is organized at the level of experts with the provision of documents and material evidence, “we will treat everything that happens in the context of this incident as a loud propaganda lie or, simply, a low-grade provocation ".

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow has sent Germany over the past month at least three requests for legal assistance on the situation with A. Navalny, which remained unanswered.

The OPCW report provoked the expected reaction in the capitals of the countries involved. Thus, the German media cite the statement of the Federal Government that the fact of human poisoning with the use of a poisonous substance of neuroparalytic action cannot be left unanswered.

In this regard, Politico cites another call from the German government to Russia for an explanation of the incident, given that "any use of chemical weapons is a serious problem and cannot pass without consequences." At the same time, Voice of America points to the threat of German Foreign Minister H. Maas in the form of new EU sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, it is specified that Germany intends to discuss further steps in the OPCW Executive Council and in dialogue with other EU countries. The heads of state and government of the EU countries plan to consider this issue at the next summit.

Meanwhile, as noted by Kommersant, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the report "a fantastic story", which was initiated at the suggestion of Berlin by its Euro-Atlantic allies and the leadership of the technical secretariat of the OPCW. Moscow accused Western countries of turning "the once authoritative OPCW into a dirty instrument for the implementation of their destructive plans." In addition, the Sputnik agency quotes the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who pointed out that the policy of Western countries is aimed at creating new institutions outside the UN or any other international legal framework “allowing facts to be presented, blamed and punished in the form of sanctions” without the need to hear the other side.

To counter the allegations made, Russia has approached the OPCW with a proposal to send technical personnel to cooperate with Russian experts. At the same time, according to S. Lavrov, Moscow has no doubts that the EU will try to impose sanctions against Russia anyway, even without an actual basis or a large-scale discussion.

Despite persistent denial by Moscow, most international observers consider the involvement of the Russian authorities in the poisoning with a chemical substance obvious.

German Deutsche Welle notes that the report served as "irrefutable proof" of the previously obtained results of laboratory studies in Germany, Sweden and France, as well as confirmation that A. Navalny was poisoned during a trip to Siberia.

According to The New York Times, the conclusion of the OPCW supports the statements of the international community, including A. Navalny himself, that it was Russia and President Vladimir Putin who were behind the attack. The Russian oppositionist himself, in multiple interviews with Western media, actively promotes the topic of his poisoning, the involvement of the top leadership of Russia in it. In an interview with the British Air Force and the German Spiegel, A. Navalny accused V. Putin of poisoning in order to eliminate the threat he poses for the parliamentary elections next year. In this regard, in an interview with the German Bild, the oppositionist called on the UN to investigate the incident, and Western countries to impose entry bans and freeze assets for oligarchs and prominent figures supporting V. Putin.

In this context, the Washington Examiner considers it possible for Germany to repeat the actions of Great Britain after the poisoning of the Skripals and to expel Russian diplomats from the country. Radio Liberty insists on the need for tougher economic sanctions and a halt to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

However, the Canadian Center for Global Research believes that the United States is trying to use the poisoning of A. Navalny in order to impose a solution that blocks the Nord Stream 2 project.

In general, experts agree that the OPCW report will soon be used as a basis for the adoption of new sanctions by Western countries against Russia.