The US has imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials after President Biden promised to take action over the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his subsequent arrest. Several of Navalny’s associates were also detained as Russia continues its crackdown on opposition forces under President Vladimir Putin. US officials have concluded that the Moscow government was behind the poisoning, which included the nerve agent Novichok. The attack almost killed Navalny, who received treatment at a German facility.
Navalny is the most high-profile critic of Mr. Putin and a leading figure in the country’s opposition party. Moscow has denied any involvement in the poisoning. The nerve agent was developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War and paralyzes muscles to lead to death by asphyxiation. The sanctions include provisions on seven senior Russian officials and 14 entities involved in chemical and biological production. The US assets of all seven officials will be frozen, including Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s main intelligence agency the FSB. Other officials sanctioned include Deputy Defense Ministers Alexei Krivoruchko and Pavel Popov.
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