Novichok

Russian sources?
Apparently details were not published in open Russian sources. What appeared either does not include details, or is derivative from Western publications (Mirzayanov book)
 * forum.kpe.ru, 6 July, 2010

Synthesis?

 * Dave Collum, twitter, 21 May, 2018
 * ''I asserted that any credible organic chemist could make novichok nerve agents (albeit not safely). Here is my final exam in my 1st year graduate organic synthesis course. Only one kid of 15 lost any points. Uniquely Russian technology my ass....
 * Russia dodges chemical arms ban Bill Gertz,THE WASHINGTON TIMES Tuesday 04 Feb 1997
 * Russia's State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology created the agents and novel ways of making them to avoid detection by international inspectors. "By using chemicals not specified in the CWC schedules, the Russians can produce A-232 and its ethyl analog A-234, in unitary and binary forms within several chemical complexes," the report says.
 * The Russians can make the binary, or two-part, version of the nerve agent using a common industrial solvent, acetonitrile, and an organic phosphate compound "that can be disguised as a pesticide precursor.
 * In another version, soldiers need only add alcohol to form the agent, the report says.

Mirzayanov

 * 'Poisoned Politics', by Vil' Mirzayanov and Lev Fedorov, drs of chemical sciences, Moscow News N 38, September 20, 1992, reprinted here, and here
 * Alleging that: '' New poisonous substance by far exceeding VX was created, and on its basis, original binary chemical weapon was developed...industrially produced batch, Spring 1991...tested later than 29 January 1992 in Uzbekistan...
 * Noted that date of industrially produced batch is before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ie it occured in the USSR, not in Russia
 * Mirzayanov case-Kommersant, April 29, 1993
 * Some info about grounds for his arrest, said to be item 56 of one of the official secrets lists which reads: disclosing information about targeted experimental-engineering/design (опытно-конструкторских) work and scientific research in the interests of defense and security
 * Published law, dated 24 January 1998 has similar items, see eg items 32 and 33
 * "Chemical Weapons Disarmament in Russia: Problems and Prospects; Dismantling the Soviet/Russian Chemical Weapons Complex: An Insider's View" (PDF). Henry L. Stimson Center, Washington, D.C. 17 October 1995
 * p. 28 He worked in GNIIOKhT for 28 years, starting from monitoring air, water, emissions quality. His final position, chief of department of countering foreign technical intelligence
 * A scientist, an emigrant, a radical. Who is Mirzayanov, who developed the "Novichok"-Argumenty i Fakty (Kazan'), March 16, 2018
 * Info about his Tatar nationalism involvement, among other things
 * From his interview to BBC, March 16, 2018
 * ''VM: I want to say right away that I'm not a synthetic chemist (a specialist who is engaged in chemical synthesis - the BBC). I am not a creator, I am a participant in the creation of this weapon. And it was created by Pyotr Kirpichev, my good friend, with his group in our branch in Shihany (branch of the State Scientific Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (GNIIOKhT) Shihany in the Saratov Region- BBC). And then, when this substance was synthesized, tests began. And in these tests my graduate students participated, and then myself. At the very end of the trial, the tests were held at the GNIIOKhT in Moscow, I was responsible for all these analyzes, my signature was final. So I participated.
 * Вил Мирзаянов: "Новичок" можно синтезировать или украсть, но применить его смогут немногие (Vil Mirzayanov: "Novichok" can be synthesized or stolen, but few can use it) - BBC, March 16, 2018
 * BBC: You know the capabilities of your colleagues around the world in your field. Where, in your opinion, could the "Novichok" be synthesized?
 * VM: Here in the States.
 * BBC: Where exactly, do you think?
 * VM: Well, there are several of these centers. Say, in Edgewall (Delaware) could do this, why not. There are very qualified chemists. It's easy.
 * Moreover, information about the fundamental difference between the well-known "Novichok" in the skeleton of this formula has leaked out. (Unclear what exactly he means; in Rus. it is "Тем более, просочились сведения о принципиальной разнице между известным "Новичком" в скелете этой формулы.") And then, before me - even before my arrival - not less than five people from GNIIOKHT who knew these secrets came. I never said and will not say that they gave them away. But the probability is always there, so what is it about. They, Americans, also care about their defense, about weapons. About prestige.
 * Where else? In China, of course. There are very strong chemists


 * Russian State Secrets, book promotion video by Vil Mirzayanov, 2009, from his youtube channel
 * Hillary Clinton Ordered Diplomats To Suppress 'Novichok' Discussions - Moon of Alabama, March 31, 2018
 * ''Details on 'Novichok' nerve agents were published in a 2007 book by Vil Mirzayanaov, a Soviet scientist offered asylum in the United States.
 * ''After the publication the U.S. and the UK actively suppressed international discussions about the book and the 'Novichok' chemical weapon agents. Documents from the U.S. State Department published by Wikileaks show that then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton directed her diplomats to not talk about Novichok and to play down the matter should it arise in chemical

Lethality?

 * «В условиях влажности применять это вещество мог только идиот»-Komersant.ru, 12 April, 2018
 * Mirzayanov: Novichok deteriorates on contact with water. On that day, the weather was wet, calculated concentration dropped, and became insufficient to kill Skripal --Resup (talk) 06:37, 13 April 2018 (UTC)


 * Rink: "This is a fair remark, because the Novichok is a very unstable substance, which depends on [exposure to] water, on alkalis, on everything. But then the experts would have found the products of hydrolysis, and certainly not a pure substance," https://sputniknews.com/europe/201804151063573543-novichok-creator-opcw-report/


 * Rybalchenko stated that “All that we know is that all substances of this class are very difficult to overcome in case of injuries, and the antidote therapy will hardly bring about the desired effect”. One review has stated (without citing a source) that inhibition of an enzyme known as neuropathy target esterase, which can cause delayed nerve damage, “is of primary concern for the Novichok agent”. Update to breifing note 'Doubts about Novichoks' 1st April 2018

A note about your comment on spam filters. Shoutwiki doesn't like the 'wrong type of video link'. For instance any link from domain youtu.be gets slammed but youtube.com is fine (and no damned sig button on this page!)

Leonid Rink

 * 'Novichok' Creator Says OPCW Report Proves Skripals Poisoned With Another Agent - Sputnik, April 15, 2018

Vladimir Uglev
See also related discussion
 * The Bell Eng., Rus., March 20, 2018)
 * Novichok developer explained Skripals' survival by their habit to wash hands -RBC, April 18, 2018
 * Uglev denied Mirzayanov's claim that Novichoks decompose on contact with water. ''Just like all normal people, they wash their hands before eating, soaking with soap and water. A-234 -  same as dirt. So they washed away part of the substance, and the rest could not kill them 100%, "Uglev said.

Uglev denied (see the Bell, above) that they are (truly) binary, making a comment like ...when hopes of having binary (CW) were dashed, ...(smth). I did not save exact link; will post if come across again. That comment can really mean that making it out of precursos if quite complicated and not 'kitchen-grade'. --Resup (talk) 13:20, 5 May 2018 (UTC)
 * ''- Nobody ever had a binary weapon. I believe that some of my colleagues, like me, fought over this idea, but I do not know of any binary sample for either VX or other poisonous substances. At least for the period until 1994.
 * In what form do nerve agents exist, which are called "novichok"?
 * Of the four drugs, only the latter, D-1980, can be a powder. The other three are liquid.

Salisbury samples?

 * Salisbury attack: Scientist Vladimir Uglev 'helped create Novichok' -BBC, April 19, 2018
 * ......It has been identified in Russia by the code A-234. Uglev:  "I can tell by the mass spectrometry readings, the presence of fluorine, by its molecular weight, and from all the spectrum data I was sent recently." 
 * Moscow asks London to clarify whether it shares information with private persons (Eng.) (Rus) -TASS, April 21, 2018


 * See OPCW discussion

Accident
25 April, 2018 It is said that Uglev was hit by a car, said to be by an old distracted driver. His injuries do not appear to be life threatening.

Western access to Novichok

 * BND beschaffte Nowitschok aus russischem Labor - Die Zeit, May 16, 2018
 * West's knowledge of Novichok came from sample secured in 1990s: report - Reuters, May 16, 2018
 * Wife of Russian defector ‘brought Novichok to Germany 20 years ago’ - The Times, May 17, 2018
 * Report: Germany obtained sample of Novichok in the 1990s -  Associated Press, May 17, 2018
 * German Intelligence Knew 'Novichok' Nerve Agent Composition in 1990s – Reports Sputnik May 18, 2018
 * NATO obtained Soviet Novichok nerve agents through German intelligence in 1990s - Joseph Fitsakanis, intelnews.org, May 18, 2018
 * On Thursday, two German newspapers, Die Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit, and two regional public radio broadcasters, WDR and NDR, said that the NATO alliance has had access to the chemical composition of Novichok nerve agents since the period immediately following the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Specifically, the reports claimed that the access was gained through a Russian scientist who became an informant for the German Federal Intelligence Service, known as the BND... In the following years, a handful of NATO countries proceeded to produce what media reports described as “limited quantities” of Novichok agents, reportedly in order to experiment with various defense measures against them and to produce antidotes.
 * Victor Kholstov: (1) at least 20 labs are presently doing (some) work with Novichoks (2)in Russia, all chemical weapons are destroyed by now (shows OPCW memorandum letter to that effect) --Russian investigative committee video, FAN news, 18 April, 2018

Stability

 * Toxicology Experts on Amesbury Incident: Toxin Could Hardly Last Since Salisbury - Sputnik, July 12, 2018

Poisoning of Sergei Skripal‎

 * Boris Johnson A Categorical Liar - Craig Murray, March 22, 2018
 * Quotes the judgement at the High Court case allowing the OPCW to takie blood samples from the Skripals
 * ''The Evidence
 * ''i) CC: Porton Down Chemical and Biological Analyst
 * ''Blood samples from Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal were analysed and the findings indicated exposure to a nerve agent or related compound. The samples tested positive for the presence of a Novichok class nerve agent or closely related agent.

Shikhany

 * Shikhany 1987 - Hans de Vreij, October 9, 2016

Ukrainian chemical weapons?

 * Khomutets : two summers without an answer. Liquidation of the consequences of the mass chemical poisoning in the village under the resort of Mirgorod demands interventions at the highest state level-zn.ua, November 24, 2000 (Khomutets is in Poltava region, Ukraine)
 * 36 children were hospitalized. Immediately after hospitalization of the victims of Mirgorodskaya Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, soil samples were taken at the scene. Their analysis allowed us to conclude that organophosphorus inhalation poisoning.
 * Secret weapons. Ukraine owns chemical warfare agents -Novasich.org.ua (Cossack), December 15, 2011
 * ''Seven tons of sarin and one ton of VX gas - in violation of all international conventions - are stored in warehouses AH-0312 of the Ministry of Defense in the Poltava region. The Presidents Kuchma and Yushchenko knew about this, but they were silent, hiding from the West. Why?
 * Chemical Weapons of Ukraine: Where Kiev Banishes Prohibited Ammunition -TV Zvezda (Russian MoD media), April 12, 2017
 * Allegation of shipments of ammunition, possibly chemical, from Mariupol to Syria, + some previous claims of Ukraine having chemical weapons. Back in 1997, the Taipei edition of The Independent Morning Post published a sensational investigation in which, with reference to a secret report from Taiwanese intelligence, the facts of Kiev's sale of a chemical warfare agent to China were proved. According to reporters, sarin was stored in arsenals of the former Soviet Army in Ukrainian territory, and Kiev was forced to sell it urgently because of fears that international inspectors would detect poison in monitoring compliance with the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
 * Ex-head of the FSB did not rule out the "Ukrainian trace" in the poisoning of Skripal-RIA Novosti Ukraine, March 13, 2018
 * ''...it was stored on territories of republics of the former Soviet Union, thus Ukrainian involvement is not excluded...

Other causes of lower acetylcholinesterase levels ?

 * Changes in liver and plasma acetylcholinesterase in rats with cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation - Hepatology, 43(3):444-53 (2006), doi: 10.1002/hep.21071.