Dr. Vil Mirzayanov, a key figure in the development of Novichok, believes that Russia under Vladimir Putin’s leadership is actively working on creating new chemical weapons. In the 1970s, Dr. Mirzayanov, along with a team of scientists at Moscow’s Gosniiokht institute, engineered a more potent type of nerve agent intended to surpass existing deadly toxins. This new class of nerve agents, named Novichok, was designed to be weaponized.
In a bold move in the 1990s, despite the risks to his life, Mirzayanov exposed the secrets of Novichok to the world as the Soviet Union dissolved. Although he anticipated potential imprisonment, the absence of relevant laws post-Soviet Union collapse spared him from prosecution. He eventually relocated to the United States, troubled by the fact that Novichok was not eradicated during the USSR’s disintegration.
Mirzayanov’s revelations continued in 2008 when he published a book detailing the secrets of Novichok, including the chemical formulas necessary for producing these lethal weapons. The shocking attack on ex-Russian military officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with Novichok further highlighted the grave implications of these chemical weapons.
Despite Russia’s denial of involvement in the Salisbury incident, investigations pointed to Putin’s likely approval of the assassination attempt, which resulted in the death of Dawn Sturgess. Mirzayanov expressed disbelief that Novichok, a product of his research, was used for fatal purposes. Moreover, he questioned the alleged Novichok poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in 2020.
Mirzayanov cautioned that Putin’s regime continues to develop new variants of chemical weapons, emphasizing the need for enhanced detection and countermeasures. His past involvement in the secretive Foliant program revealed efforts to evade international bans on specific chemical weapons, which he condemned as tools of mass destruction against innocent civilians.
Based on his experiences, Mirzayanov advised against naivety in negotiating peace agreements, particularly in conflict zones like Ukraine. He warned against Russia’s tendency to exploit loopholes in treaties to circumvent agreements, urging caution in dealing with diplomatic relations with the country.