Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1542 of 3 July 2026 amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons
Date: 2026-07-03
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, chemical weapon, economic sanctions, homicide, international sanctions, natural person, non-proliferation of arms








L_202601542EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
L series













2026/1542


3.7.2026







            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2026/1542
         
of 3 July 2026
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 15 October 2018, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 (1).












(2)


On 16 February 2024, the Russian authorities announced the death of Alexei Navalny while he was detained in a penal colony in Russia. Navalny had been subjected to politically motivated prosecution and imprisonment and had previously been the victim of a poisoning attack involving a toxic nerve agent from the Novichok group in August 2020.












(3)


In that context, and in view of the circumstances of Alexei Navalny’s death, the confirmed presence of epibatidine in samples taken from him after his death and the conclusion that poisoning with epibatidine was highly likely to have been the cause of his death, six persons should be included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544.












(4)


Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 3 July 2026.


For the Council


The President

T. BYRNE
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 of 15 October 2018 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons (OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 25, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2018/1544/oj).




ANNEX
In the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544, under the heading ‘A. Natural persons’, the following entries are added:










 


Name


Identifying information


Grounds for designation


Date of listing




‘26.


Igor Yuryevich BABKIN
(Игорь Юрьевич БАБКИН)


Gender: male
DOB: 19.4.1978
POB: Cherkasy region, USSR (now Ukraine)
Nationality: Russian
INN: 770170119783
Function: head of laboratory at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN 7718813855)


Igor Babkin is a scientist within the military sphere and head of laboratory at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal).
Babkin previously worked with the chemical, radiological and biological defence structures within the Russian Ministry of Defence, including the 27th Scientific Centre and the Military Academy for Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence.
Babkin led a group of researchers at the Signal Scientific Centre that researched and published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Igor Babkin is involved in the development of chemical weapons.
Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal.


3.7.2026




27.


Sergey Yevgenyevich GALAN
(Сергей Евгеньевич ГАЛАН)


Gender: male
DOB: 13.6.1970
POB: Kramatorsk, USSR (now Ukraine)
Nationality: Russian
Function: senior scientist at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN 7718813855)


Sergey Galan is a senior scientist within the military sphere working at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal).
Galan previously worked with the chemical, radiological and biological defence structures within the Russian Ministry of Defence, including the 27th Scientific Centre, the State Scientific-Research Institute for Experimental Medicine and the Research Institute for Applied Acoustics.
Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, he has researched and published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Sergey Galan is involved in the development of chemical weapons.
Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal.


3.7.2026




28.


Irina Dmitriyevna DEREVYAGINA
(Ирина Дмитриевна ДЕРЕВЯГИНА)


Gender: female
DOB: 24.3.1961
Nationality: Russian
INN: 772815862404
Function: chemical research analyst at the State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT)


Irina Derevyagina is a chemical research analyst at Russia’s State Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT).
She authored two research papers on the clinical applications and testing of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. She is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Irina Derevyagina is involved in the development of chemical weapons.


3.7.2026




29.


Mikhail Vasilyevich GUTSALYUK
(Михаил Васильевич ГУЦАЛЮК)


Gender: male
DOB: 2.3.1968
Nationality: Russian
INN: 460501189420
Function: colonel and head of the department for organising scientific work and preparing scientific and pedagogical staff for the Military Academy for Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence


Mikhail Gutsalyuk is a colonel and head of the department for organising scientific work and preparing scientific and pedagogical staff at the Military Academy for Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence.
Together with chemists from the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal), he has conducted research on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Mikhail Gutsalyuk is involved in the development of chemical weapons. Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal.


3.7.2026




30.


Olga Petrovna YUDINA
(Ольга Петровна ЮДИНА)


Gender: female
DOB: 24.11.1986
Nationality: Russian
INN: 462601484461
Function: senior researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN 7718813855)


Olga Yudina is a senior researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal).
She also receives a salary from the Research Institute for Applied Acoustics, which has been involved in procuring materials that could be used in the production of chemical weapon agents.
Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, she has researched and published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. She is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Olga Yudina is involved in the development of chemical weapons.
Furthermore, she is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal


3.7.2026




31.


Aleksey Vadimovich AKSYONOV
(Алексей Вадимович АКСЕНОВ)


Gender: male
DOB: 8.10.1978
Nationality: Russian
INN: 366217317327
Function: researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN 7718813855)


Aleksey Aksyonov is a researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal).
Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, he has researched and published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon.
Therefore, Aleksey Aksyonov is involved in the development of chemical weapons. Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal.


3.7.2026’.








ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj
ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)