Soviet Scientist Who Helped Create Novichok Found Dead at 80
Vladimir Uglev, the scientist who co-developed the Novichok nerve agent and later criticized Moscow for its use in targeted attacks, has died at 80. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Vladimir Uglev, a Soviet-era scientist who helped develop the Novichok nerve agent and later became a vocal critic of Moscow for its use in assassinations, has been found dead at the age of 80, according to the independent Russian outlet The Insider. The report, published Tuesday, did not specify a cause of death or explain why the announcement was delayed.
Uglev worked in Soviet laboratories between 1975 and 1990, where he contributed to the development of some of the earliest variants of Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent reportedly up to eight times more potent than VX gas. After leaving the program, he became an outspoken whistleblower, condemning the use of the substance in attacks on Kremlin opponents.
In 2018, Uglev told the BBC that the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury was a 'state-level hit' orchestrated by Moscow. 'These are not the first victims on my conscience,' he said at the time, adding that he could probably count a dozen people poisoned by Soviet-developed substances in various circumstances.
Novichok was also used in the 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who fell severely ill on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow. German lab technicians confirmed the use of Novichok, and Navalny was treated in Berlin before returning to Russia, where he later died in an Arctic penal colony in 2024. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, blamed President Vladimir Putin for his death.
Uglev's death marks the passing of a figure whose insider knowledge of Soviet chemical weapons programs lent weight to international allegations against the Kremlin. His disclosures contributed to ongoing debates about the proliferation and use of banned nerve agents, and his criticism of Moscow's actions drew attention to the risks faced by those who speak out.
The circumstances surrounding Uglev's death remain unclear, and no further details have been released. His legacy as both a developer and a critic of Novichok underscores the complex ethical questions surrounding scientific work on chemical weapons.
