Putin administration fires FSB poison lab chief for criticizing war in Ukraine

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The head of the Federal Security Service’s secret chemical laboratories, Colonel-General Eduard Chernovoltsev, has been sacked for criticizing the war in Ukraine, according to a report by the Daily Mail. Chernovoltsev, 52, was in charge of the NII-2 FSB, a research institute that develops poisons used against Kremlin adversaries such as opposition leader Alexey Navalny. According to a source, Chernovoltsev, who previously lived in Kyiv, regretted the start of the military operation in Ukraine and privately expressed the belief that it had gone too far. These comments were seen as disloyal by the Kremlin, leading to Chernovoltsev’s removal from his post.

Colonel-General Eduard Chernovoltsev is believed to have played a role in the poisonings of Russian opposition figures Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza. According to the Daily Mail report, Chernovoltsev’s personnel at the NII-2 FSB were directly involved in the use of the nerve agent Novichok against the two men. Navalny was nearly killed in a poisoning attack on a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, while Kara-Murza was reportedly poisoned twice in 2015 and 2017. Both are currently being held as political prisoners in Russia. Chernovoltsev, who was also responsible for several other FSB units such as the FSB Special Equipment Center, the FSB Special Communications Directorate and the 8th FSB Center (Information Protection), was officially retired , but reports suggest he was fired.

Eduard Chernovoltsev allegedly refused to submit to a medical examination

It should be noted that Eduard Chernovoltsev is only 52 years old, the FSB retirement age is much higher. Alexander Bortnikov, the current director of the FSB is 71 years old. Chernovoltsev was also reportedly caught driving while intoxicated twice. The second incident occurred when he held the rank of FSB general. According to reports, Chernovoltsev refused to undergo a medical examination and received help to avoid criminal charges.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) is the main security agency of the Russian Federation and is responsible for counterintelligence, internal and border security, counterterrorism and surveillance. It is the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB and is considered one of the main instruments of the Russian government to maintain control. The FSB has a wide range of powers and responsibilities, including the power to conduct investigations, make arrests, and conduct surveillance and wiretapping. It also plays a role in protecting senior officials and safeguarding state secrets. He was criticized for providing inaccurate information to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which apparently gave him the impression that Ukrainians will not resist the Russian military.

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