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Now it’s clear: Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been poisoned. But who is behind this? And will it be okay again? Toxicologist Martin Göttlicher explains in an interview with t-online.
The critic of the Russian government Alexei Navalny was poisoned deliberately, and not with just any poison: the chemical nerve agent “Novitschok”, which the experts were able to detect in Navalny’s body, is a neurotoxin developed by the Soviet Union. It’s the same thing that former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with in March 2018.
Martin Göttlicher is particularly familiar with chemical nerve agents. He directs the Institute of Toxicology at the Helmholtz Center in Munich. In an interview, he explains what triggers “Novitschok” in a body, what long-term consequences Navalny could suffer permanently, and why the perpetrators might have chosen this poison.
t-online.de: Experts from the Berlin Charité have succeeded in demonstrating the chemical nerve agent “Novitschok” on Alexej Navalny’s body without a doubt. It’s difficult
Martin Göttlicher: That is very difficult, but it is possible. “Novitschok” inhibits an important enzyme: cholinesterase. This enzyme can be isolated from the body and a highly sensitive mass spectrometer can be used to detect if there are still residues of the active ingredient. It is a common and accurate method, and you may have succeeded now.
Since the attack, Navalny has been in an artificial coma and must be ventilated. Is it possible for you to make a full recovery from this? Or could it sustain the long-term damage?
Both are possible. Actually, acetylcholine, the nervous system messenger substance that can no longer be broken down, can be well treated with antidotes. But there are concerns that long-term damage will persist – for example, muscle weakness or a memory disorder. And with such severe treatments, there is always the possibility of complications. Everything is open right now. After about three weeks, it should be clear how things are going for Mr. Navalny. However, it can take a long time to fully recover from such poisoning – half a year or a whole year.
Martin Göttlicher. The expert heads the Institute for Toxicology at the Helmholtz Center in Munich. (Source: Institute of Toxicology and Environmental Hygiene)
“Novitschok” is a Soviet nerve agent. Who has access to such a substance and who can manufacture it?
One can only speculate. The basic chemistry of these substances is known. To make “Novitschok” you need a good chemist, very good instruments, but not a high security wing. Above all, you need someone who is willing to put a lot of energy into production. It does not necessarily have to be a state. But it takes a certain amount of logistics, and it would be really difficult for that to go unnoticed in the long run.
How is such a poison administered? And how long does it take to work?
War agents like “Novitschok” develop in such a way that they enter the body very easily: for example, through the skin, the air, or the gastrointestinal tract. They are optimized so that poisoning cannot be treated as easily as possible. In Navalny’s case, that means he was given the poison shortly before he collapsed – a few hours, maybe even a few minutes earlier.
So far, it looks like Alexei Navalny will survive the attack. Sergej Skripal and his daughter have also recovered. Is it such a difficult poison to dose, or was it not even planned to kill him?
“Novichok” is not an ideal poison to kill someone. Such an attack is above all a massive threat. “Novichok” is less deadly than other substances, but it is easy to use. You may have chosen a relatively simple method, with an uncertain result.
