Global News Podcast Russia 'used frog toxin' to kill Alexei Navalny
28 snips
Feb 15, 2026 
Rebecca Tarvin, a biologist and toxicologist, explains epibatidine from Ecuadorian dart frogs. Kaya Callas, an EU foreign policy official, discusses transatlantic responses and defence burdens. Sergei Guriev, an economist and critic of the Russian government, analyzes the poisoning and broader Russian actions. They focus on the toxin’s origin and effects, plausibility of synthetic use, and international political reactions.
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Evidence Points To Rare Toxin In Navalny Case
- Tests by five European countries found epibatidine, a rare toxin linked to an Ecuadorian frog, in Alexei Navalny's body.
- The British Foreign Office said Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to have used the poison.
Navalny Fits A Pattern Of Alleged Kremlin Poisonings
- Sergei Guriev and other critics say the findings confirm a pattern of Kremlin denial after suspected poisonings.
- He argued this case adds to evidence Russia has used illegal chemical methods against opponents.
Natural Source Is Rare But Synthesis Is Possible
- Epibatidine occurs naturally in one Ecuadorian frog species and was studied for pharmaceutical use but failed due to side effects.
- Synthetic epibatidine exists, so a laboratory-made source is plausible for a poisoning.