MYSTERY DEATH

Novichok Inventor Mysteriously Dies After Infuriating Putin

The Russian scientist was part of the Soviet team behind the military-grade toxin used on the Kremlin’s enemies.

A Russian scientist who helped create the deadly Novichok nerve agent before enraging the Kremlin by condemning its use against civilians has died at age 80.

Vladimir Uglev was part of the Soviet team behind Novichok—the military-grade toxin the Kremlin later deployed in a botched bid to kill Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in March 2018.

He died on Oct. 26, according to independent Russian investigative outlet The Insider, which reported his death Wednesday without disclosing a cause. Before his death, he worked as a chemical engineer for a private company in Anapa, a town in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

Uglev drew the Kremlin’s fury after a series of media interviews in which he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using the poison, also known as A-234, against the Skripals. He described it as a “state-level hit,” while Moscow denied involvement in the attack.

The leaders of the U.S., France, and Germany joined the U.K. in blaming the Kremlin for the incident, declaring there was “no plausible alternative explanation.” Dawn Sturgess, a British woman who was exposed to the poison in Salisbury, died.

Investigative journalist Christo Grozev paid tribute on X, describing Uglev as an outspoken critic of Novichok’s use against civilians.

“Uglev openly contradicted the Kremlin denials in both the Skripal and Navalny cases,” Grozev wrote, referring to Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who mysteriously died in prison at the age of 47 in February 2024.

Four years before his death, Navalny survived a Novichok poisoning.

Uglev again spoke to journalists after the attack, explaining how the poison works.

The scientist also helped The Insider investigate Russian intelligence agencies’ use of Novichok, including a report examining who produces the nerve agent in Russia, and how.

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After Uglev gave his first interview in 2018, leaflets accusing him of pedophilia appeared on his door, and he received a phone call claiming he was a theft suspect.

He was also hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing near his home, suffering a head injury and bruises to his arm and leg. Uglev insisted the collision was an accident but said he feared he was “being targeted.”

“Everyone experiences fear, but you need to control your fear,” the scientist said when asked if he believed he could be targeted for the information he disclosed.

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Isabel van BrugenFreelance Writer

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