Call for sanctions after 'dart frog' poison claims

NEW sanctions against Moscow could follow from Britain and its allies blaming the Kremlin for poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has suggested.

- DAVID LYNCH AND SAM HALL

The UK and its allies on Saturday pinned the blame for Mr Navalny’s death on the Russian state, adding he was likely poisoned using a dart frog toxin.

The Foreign Office, and four of the UK's allies - Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands - made the announcement two years on from Mr Navalny’s death in a Siberian penal colony.

The Russian embassy in London has denied Moscow was involved in Mr Navalny’s death and described the announcement as “feeble-mindedness of Western fabulists”.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme, the Foreign Secretary hit back at the Russians, insisting the accusation was “deeply serious”.

She added: “The statement that we made yesterday shows that we have the evidence.”

Analysis of samples from Mr Navalny’s body revealed the presence of a toxin called Epibatidine - which is produced by wild dart frogs in South America.

The UK and its allies said there was no innocent explanation for it being there, as it is not found in Russia and is generally only produced by the frogs in the wild.