Who is developing chemical weapons in Russia and how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zMIsLejGAg 

Investigative outlet Proekt published a video report looking into the development of chemical weapons and toxins in Russia

- The report identified multiple organisations said to be involved in the programme

- At least one of these organisations was found to conduct human testing on "volunteers" from the military

- All organisations proved to be interconnected with regularly rotating leadership, physical proximity and "consulting" services

Full story

Russian investigative news website Proekt has named multiple organisations it says are involved in the development and testing of chemical weapons in Russia.

This Briefing looks at Proekt's findings regarding five organisations believed to be currently involved in this process in secondary roles. For Proekt's findings regarding Signal, identified as the chief developer of modern Russian chemical weapons, see Briefing: Russian outlet reveals make-up of secret toxin lab.

The five organisations the report looked at are the State Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT), the High Technologies Laboratory, the Defence Ministry's 27th Scientific Centre, the 33rd Central Institute and the St Petersburg Military Medicine Institute.

GosNIIOKhT is the self-described "head developer of all technologies for the destruction of chemical weapons" used in Russia. According to Proekt, however, GosNIIOKhT's deputy head of science Pavel Kazakov is also a specialist in the chemical synthesis of epibatidin, the toxin used to finally kill opposition politician Alexei Navalny in prison in 2024.

According to  Vil Mirzayanov, a former employee of GosNIIOKhT, Russia "only joined the [1993 Chemical Weapons] Convention to destroy old junk. All of these Novichok-series [weapons] remained. Russia never announced the destruction of these weapons".

At least 38 employees working at GosNIIOKhT now were previously involved in the development of chemical weapons. Many other employees have no work published whatsoever. This includes all employees of its 87th laboratory, the activities of which are classified.

According to Proekt's findings, however, "there is no proof" that GosNIIOKhT is still involved in the production of chemical weapons. Instead, it likely offers "consulting" services for the development of chemical weapons by other organisations and their use by Russian intelligence operatives.

The High Technologies Laboratory is, according to Proekt, "some unknown organisation". In 2015 it published a scientific report titled "Synthesis of structural analogues of epibatidin". However, "almost all" of the authors of the paper were staff at the Signal institute in Moscow, Proekt said.

"We know perfectly well that GosNIIOKhT and Signal closely cooperated on the use of Novichok. When this poison was used against Navalny in 2020, their directors held regular calls with each other," Proekt said.

Next is the Defence Ministry's 27th Scientific Centre, which was credited with the development of chemical weapons between the 1970's and the 1990's that eventually led to the signing of the 1993 Convention. Some of the Centre's staff went on to take leadership positions in other related institutes. For example, Artur Zhirov headed the 27th Centre in 2004-2009, and went on to head Signal in 2010.

Today, the Centre is located "two steps away" from GosNIIOKhT in Moscow. It employs some 500 people spread across multiple research, development and testing departments. It also includes two separate state secrecy protection departments and an IT security department.

Lately, the Centre has been involved in research for propaganda purposes, to generate stories accusing Ukraine of using chemical weapons against invading Russian troops.

Next is the 33rd Central Institute. It is located in Shikhany, Samara Region, next to a branch of GosNIIOKhT. Proekt cited Vil Mirzayanov as saying that the two institutes worked in close cooperation, with GosNIIOKhT developing toxins for the 33rd Institute.

Today, the institute includes several laboratories, an animal testing section and military security. It publishes scientific works on nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection.

Finally, the St Petersburg Military Medicine Institute employs over 700 people. It is headed by Sergei Chepur, who previously worked at Signal.

The institute includes sections for "applied testing", animal testing and "special processing and elimination of biological material".

The institute also admits it conducts human trials on volunteers from the Russian Armed Forces. In one test, sheltered soldiers were shelled with 122mm and 300mm rounds. They were monitored during the shelling for "heavy, even critical" changes to vital functions in order to find ways to "use ammunition to suppress enemy manpower with guaranteed application of harm of no lower than moderate severity".

The institute says it develops antidotes to chemical weapons. "Possibly, this was used as cover to work on Novichok," Proekt suggested.

"It is easy to get confused with all of these institutes. There are many, and the same staff worked in them, moving on from one institute onto another. Almost everything about their work is classified," Proekt said, noting that it nevertheless managed to obtain lists of all their staff.

According to Proekt, Signal and the St Petersburg Military Medicine Institute are now the "two key institutes" involved in the production and use of the Novichok chemical agent.

Signal's precursors

In Moscow's Centre For Extreme Medicine (TsEM), which used to be a part of the St Petersburg Military Medicine Institute, trials were reportedly held in the late 1990's - early 2000's to create a "super soldier".

One of the Centre's employees, Pavel Shalimov, said in a 2000 interview that TsEM would test "psychostimulants" on soldiers that would enable them to "oppose four enemies, move for 80 kilometres and put ten bullets on target from 300 metres".

Other developments by the Centre included systems for protection against cold weather and radiation. They, alongside Shalimov's psychostimulants, were later debunked as "false science" by the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Following its shutdown in 2003, TsEM was merged with the Defence Ministry's Gostekhstroi company. Its researchers, including Shalimov, went on to work for Gostekhstroi.

In 2010, Gostekhstroi was split into several entities - including Signal, which now occupies the same building that used to house TsEM on Moscow's 8 Bolshaya Olenya street.