Chemical disarmament Russia

10 years ago, on November 5, 1997, Russia ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction (CWC). During this time, our country, and not only it, has done big way in its implementation. To date, we have destroyed 9,633 tons of this heritage cold war from 40 thousand tons of its reserves. Fulfilled their interim obligations to the Convention. And there's even more to come hard work. And it’s worth reflecting on what worked and what didn’t.

Currently in Russia, according to official data, there are 7 specialized arsenals where a significant amount of chemical weapons is stored. These are warehouses in the city of Kambarka and the village of Kizner in Udmurtia, in the village of Gorny Saratov region, in the city of Shchuchye Kurgan region, in the village of Leonidovka Penza region, in the village of Maradykovo Kirov region and in the city of Pochep, Bryansk region.

The village of Leonidovka is located a few kilometers from Penza itself. The warehouse (Object No. 1206) in Leonidovka was formed in 1937. During the Great Patriotic War it was an ammunition depot, so the storage facilities were designed to withstand very heavy loads. Up to a direct hit from a five-hundred-kilogram high-explosive bomb. After the war, in the mid-sixties, chemical aviation munitions began to be brought here. In 1987, after the USSR abandoned chemical weapons, supplies were stopped.

Now, according to official data, 6 thousand 885 tons of toxic substances are “packed” here. Moreover, the agent has a nerve-paralytic effect. Of these, 267 tons of sarin, 1,494 tons of soman and 5,124 tons of VX, which is 17 percent of the Russian stockpile of chemical weapons!

All this ammunition is long past its expiration date. Each bomb has a yellow stripe. This is an indicator bar. If suddenly the substance from the ammunition comes out, the strip will instantly change color to bright red. They are examined several times a day. Strictly according to the rules.

In September 2008, a chemical weapons destruction plant was put into operation in the Penza region, for the construction of which 12 billion rubles were allocated. By the end of December, over 4 thousand tons of Vi-X agent contained in 500 kg caliber aerial bombs (60 percent of the total amount of agent stored in the arsenal) had been subjected to the reagent filling procedure.

Declassified projects chemical weapons

The man of modern civilized society has significantly succeeded in sophistication in obtaining poisons. During the arms race of the last century, it was developed a large number of various toxic substances. Information about some of them is kept under strictly secret. But history knows of cases when such information leaked to the light. For example…

In September 1992, an article by Vila Mirzayanov, one of the employees of the State Research Institute, appeared in the Moscow News newspaper organic chemistry and technology (GNIIOKhT, Moscow), in which he argued that the USSR, in violation of international conventions, continues to produce and test chemical weapon third generation. Soon after the publication, the scientist was arrested, but the case received wide publicity and a few months later he was released and emigrated to the United States. So western world For the first time I learned about the existence of a new class of toxic substances, several times more toxic than all previously known synthetic poisons.

Currently, any information about physical and chemical properties, toxicity and combat characteristics of the A-series and Novichok compounds constitute a state secret. Main part open information about the properties of new toxic substances was obtained from interviews and publications of GNIIOKhT employees V. Mirzayanov, V. Uglev and A. Zheleznyakov, as well as the president of the union “For chemical safety" -- L. A. Fedorova.

The Foliot program to develop new types of chemical weapons began in 1973. One of the objectives of this program was the creation of new third-generation nerve agents, which were supposed to have a toxicity higher than that of known foreign and domestic V-gases. More than 200 chemists and engineers were involved in the development of a new type of chemical weapon. According to Mirzayanov, it is known that within the framework of this program, at least three unitary chemical agents were first created (Substance 33, A-232, A-234), and then, based on them, 5 types of binary chemical weapons, codenamed “Novichok” "

The formulas of the A-series toxic substances have never been published, but over the past few years information has begun to appear that these substances may be derivatives of dihaloformaldoximes. These assumptions are based on publicly published works Soviet chemists working on the Tome problem. At the same time, there is not a single publication confirming the high toxicity of compounds of this series. As suggested by S. L. Hoenig, an expert on chemical terrorism, the A-series substances may have the following chemical formulas:

* A-230 (Foliant-230). It was produced in small quantities (tens of tons) in Shikhany and Volgograd. In the production of A-230, methylphosphonyl dichloride was used as a precursor, which is also a key reagent in the synthesis of chemical agents such as sarin and soman. At low temperatures V winter time A-230 hardens, turning into a crystalline mass. To prevent crystallization, dimethylformamide was added to the original formulations with A-230, which significantly reduced the overall toxicity of such a mixture. After conducting field tests at one of the test sites in Uzbekistan in 1988-1989, substance A-230 was put into service in 1990 Soviet army. Substance A-230 was developed by P. P. Kirpichev (GNIIOKhT, Shikhany).

* A-232 (Foliant-232) was produced only in experimental batches, but according to foreign experts, if necessary, the plant in Novocheboksarsk could quickly produce 2-2.5 thousand tons of A-232 annually. Physico-chemical characteristics A-232 allows its use in winter conditions. Later, based on A-232 and its ethyl analogue A-234, binary systems"Novices". Work on agents A-232 and A-234 was also carried out under the leadership of P. P. Kirpichev.

“Newcomer” (English: Newcomer, Novichok agent) is the code name for a number of chemical warfare agents allegedly created in the USSR in the mid-80s.

The target program for the study of binary systems based on A-series substances was determined by a resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Council of Ministers of 1989.

According to S. L. Hoenig, "Novices" can be substituted with 2-fluoro-1,3,2-dioxophospholane:

Novichok-5	Novichok-7	Newbie-?

* “Newbie--?” -- binary form of Soviet V-gas (Substance 33). This "Newbie" serial number was not assigned. Industrial production(tens of tons) was established in Novocheboksarsk in the early 1980s. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1990.

* “Novichok-5” is a binary OB based on A-232. It is 5-8 times more toxic than VX. Leading developers I. Vasiliev and A. Zheleznyakov (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Poisoning is difficult to treat with standard antidotes. Chemical production experimental batches of Novichok-5, about 5-10 tons, were established in Volgograd. Tests were carried out in 1989-1990 at a test site near Nukus (Uzbekistan).

* “Novichok-7” is a binary agent based on A-230 with volatility like soman, but 10 times more toxic. Leading developer - G. I. Drozd (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Experimental small-scale (tens of tons) production of this chemical agent was established in Shikhany. In 1993, it was tested at the Shikhany test site.

* “Novichok-8” and “Novichok-9” - these toxic substances were synthesized at GNIIOKhT, but did not reach the production stage.

According to official data, all work on the Folio program was stopped in 1992.

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the first conclusions of the investigation into the case on the evening of March 12 former colonel GRU of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter were exposed to an unknown nerve agent on March 4. They were found unconscious on a park bench near shopping center The Maltings in English city Salisbury. Both have since remained in hospital in critical condition.

As Theresa May said yesterday, the nerve agent Novichok, which was invented in the USSR, was used against the ex-GRU colonel and his daughter.

British authorities have previously stated that Russia was most likely behind the poisoning. And they now consider the Soviet Novichok one of the indirect evidence. True, the formula of this substance was revealed to the whole world by one of its creators long ago. And to “cook” this poison, you don’t need any rare or expensive elements. Life has collected the most Interesting Facts about "Novichok".

1. Soviet scientists began working on Novichok in the 1960s. It was created at the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology. Why was he called "Novichok"? Perhaps because it was developed as an even more terrible replacement for already known toxic substances - among them VX and sarin (they belong to the same group of organophosphorus compounds).

2. Organophosphorus poisonous substance is based on chemical bond phosphorus - carbon. Such compounds are nerve poisons. They can easily enter the body through the skin, stomach or respiratory tract.

This poison replaces the enzymes responsible for transmission nerve impulse. Because of this, a person experiences a tremor that turns into complete paralysis. By acting on the central nervous system, the substance causes convulsions, loss of sensitivity to light, balance, sleep, as well as impaired consciousness, coma. Death occurs within a few hours.

3. If the victim does not die, he will become disabled. An example is GNIIOKhT employee Andrei Zheleznyakov, who in 1987 accidentally poisoned himself with Novichok while working in a laboratory.

He lost the ability to walk and ended up in a secret clinic in Leningrad. Zheleznyakov complained of chronic weakness in his arms, and was later diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. He also suffered from depression, epilepsy, and lacked concentration. The scientist became disabled and died five years after the poisoning.

4. The substance can be used as a gas and as a liquid. It can be prepared from common chemicals that are used in fertilizer and pesticide factories. Until they are combined, these are relatively harmless reagents.

5. One of the creators of Novichok is chemist Vil Mirzayanov. In the 90s he emigrated from Russia to the USA. There he published a book about the development of chemical weapons in the USSR and revealed in it the chemical formula of Novichok. Mirzayanov spoke about this again yesterday on his Facebook account.

Theresa May stated that Novichok was used to assassinate Skripal,” Mirzayanov wrote in his post. - His chemical formula published only in my book.

Vil Mirzayanov in an interview Western media now that Russia is behind Skripal’s poisoning. But from his post it follows that the poisoners learned the formula of the poison from his book (at the same time Russian specialists This formula is known even without his book).

6. Since the formula has been revealed and the reagents to create the poison are easy to obtain, weapons experts fear that rogue countries, including North Korea and Syria, will create their own reserves of this deadly substance.

7. Presumably, "Novichok" in 1995, banker Ivan Kivilidi and his secretary. The telephone receiver in his office was treated with poison. Both died, although the secretary herself did not touch the phone, but simply wiped the dust in the office.

The investigation found that dangerous substance was purchased from an employee of the GNIIOKhT branch. Moreover, the killer himself received severe poisoning, but survived and, together with the customer, went to the colony.

This is the only documented case of the use for criminal purposes of a substance similar in action to Novichok.

8. "Novichok" can be obtained in any country former USSR, representative of the Russian Federation Council Franz Klintsevich, commenting on Theresa May’s statement.

Given the chaos that was, he could have been... in various kinds pantries and storage facilities, then Soviet Union carried out the so-called front-line kits. He could be in any country, including Georgia and Ukraine,” Klintsevich said.

However, Theresa May also noted that the version that Russia was behind the poisoning is not the only one. According to her, the substance could have been stolen from Russian laboratories.

“Newcomers” (English: Newcomer, Novichok agent) is a class of organophosphorus toxic substances with nerve agents. “Novichoks” were first synthesized in the USSR in the mid-1980s of the last century by P. P. Kirpichev and today, in terms of their range of combat characteristics, they surpass all known chemical warfare agents.”

The Foliot program to develop new types of chemical weapons began in 1973. One of the objectives of this program was the creation of new third-generation nerve agents, which were supposed to have a toxicity higher than that of known foreign and domestic V-gases. More than 200 chemists and engineers were involved in the development of a new type of chemical weapon. It is known that within the framework of this program, at least three unitary chemical agents were first created (Substance 33, A-232, A-234), and then, based on them, 5 types of binary chemical weapons, codenamed “Novichok”.

A-230 (Foliant-230).

It was produced in small quantities (tens of tons) in Shikhany and Volgograd. In the production of A-230, methylphosphonyl dichloride was used as a precursor, which is soman and a key reagent in the synthesis of sarin and soman type agents. At low temperatures in winter, A-230 hardens, turning into a crystalline mass. To prevent crystallization, dimethylformamide was added to the original formulations with A-230, which significantly reduced the overall toxicity of such a mixture. After conducting field tests at one of the test sites in Uzbekistan in 1988-1989, substance A-230 was adopted by the Soviet army in 1990. Substance A-230 was developed by P. P. Kirpichev (GNIIOKhT, Shikhany).

A-232 (Foliant-232)

was produced only in experimental batches, but according to foreign experts, if necessary, the plant in Novocheboksarsk could quickly produce 2-2.5 thousand tons of A-232 annually. The physicochemical characteristics of A-232 allow it to be used in winter conditions. Later, based on A-232 and its ethyl analogue A-234

Binary systems "Novichok" were developed. Work on agents A-232 and A-234 was also carried out under the leadership of P. P. Kirpichev.
Binary chemical agents “Novichki”

"Novichok--#" is a binary form of Soviet V-gas (Substance 33). This “Novichok” was not assigned a serial number. Industrial production (tens of tons) was established in Novocheboksarsk in the early 1980s. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1990.

"Novichok-5"

Binary OB based on A-232. It is 5-8 times more toxic than VX. Leading developers I. Vasiliev and A. Zheleznyakov (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Poisoning is difficult to treat with standard antidotes. Chemical production of experimental batches of Novichok-5, about 5-10 tons, was established in Volgograd. Tests were carried out in 1989-1990 at a test site near Nukus (Uzbekistan).

"Novichok-7"

A binary agent based on A-230 with volatility similar to soman, but 10 times more toxic. Leading developer - G. I. Drozd (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Experimental small-scale (tens of tons) production of this chemical agent was established in Shikhany. In 1993, it was tested at the Shikhany test site.

“Novichok-8” and “Novichok-9” - these toxic substances were synthesized at GNIIOKhT, but did not reach the production stage.

Clinical picture

According to the mechanism of action, Novichoks are irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme acetycholinesterase. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which in good condition is destroyed by this enzyme and begins to accumulate in synapses, causing overexcitation of the nervous system, which is quickly replaced by its depression. Little is known about the symptoms of Novichok poisoning; it is believed that clinical picture poisoning is the same as for damage caused by conventional nerve agents (sarin, soman, VX). However, there are also differences. So, for example, it is mentioned that “... the lesions were virtually incurable...”, and “... people who were once exposed to this agent remained incapacitated and disabled.” Probably, we're talking about about the so-called delayed neurotoxicity, severe damage to the nervous system, manifested by paresis and paralysis, occurring 1-3 weeks after poisoning with certain organophosphorus pesticides and practically intractable known methods treatment. One of the GNIIOKhT employees, Andrey Zheleznyakov, who suffered acute poisoning“Novichok-5”, died five years after the incident, suffering all these years from cirrhosis of the liver that developed against the background of toxic hepatitis, trigeminal neuritis and epilepsy.

Roughly speaking, one liter of this poison, sprayed over Moscow or Beijing at ideal conditions, enough to bury the entire population of cities with over a million people. And even if we proceed from non-ideal (with a reserve of many thousands) conditions and calculate based on one ton, then this is still 2-3 Iskander or Tochka-U operational-tactical missiles. That is, very few - two missiles are carried by one Iskander launcher.

A derivative of substance A-232 (far from the most toxic) killed the banker Kivilidi. In the 90s, when everything was sold, at one of the research institutes, the customer bought a few milligrams of OM (a drop) and dropped it into the Kivilidi phone receiver.

The banker died, his secretary, who called the ambulance from this phone, died, the pathologist who performed the autopsy died.

Forty tons of Novichok. Placed on 100 OTRK is enough to destroy the population in all large (and simply ALL, without “large”) cities and industrial centers, here the limiter is only the launch range of the OTRK.

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"(English: Newcomer, Novichok agent) is the code name for a number of chemical warfare agents created, presumably, in the USSR in the mid-1980s.

In September 1992, the Moscow News newspaper published an article by one of the employees of the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology (GNIIOKhT, Moscow), Vila Mirzayanov, in which he argued that the USSR, in violation of international conventions, continued to produce and test chemical weapons third generation.

According to Mirzayanov, the program to develop new types of chemical weapons "Foliant" started in 1973. One of the objectives of this program was the creation of new third-generation nerve agents, which were supposed to have a toxicity higher than that of known foreign and domestic V-gases. More than 200 chemists and engineers were involved in the development of a new type of chemical weapon. As part of this program, three unitary chemical agents were created (Substance 33, A-232, A-234), then based on them - five types of binary chemical weapons, codenamed Novichok.

"Newbie-?" - binary form of Soviet V-gas (Substance 33). This "Novichok" was not assigned a serial number. Industrial production (tens of tons) was established in Novocheboksarsk in the early 1980s. Adopted by the Soviet Army in 1990.

"Novichok-5" is a binary OB based on A-232. It is five to eight times more toxic than VX. Leading developers are I. Vasiliev and A. Zheleznyakov (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Poisoning is difficult to treat with standard antidotes. Chemical production of pilot batches of Novichok-5 (about five to ten tons) was established in Volgograd. Tests were carried out in 1989-1990 at a test site near the city of Nukus (Uzbekistan).

"Novichok-7" is a binary agent based on A-230 with volatility like soman, but ten times more toxic. Lead developer - G. I. Drozd (GNIIOKhT, Moscow). Experimental small-scale (tens of tons) production of this chemical agent was established in Shikhany. In 1993, it was tested at the Shikhany test site.

"Novichok-8" and "Novichok-9" were synthesized at GNIIOKhT, but did not reach the production stage.

According to some reports, all work on the "Foliant" program was stopped in 1992.

Nerve agents poison the nervous system and destroy vital body functions. In their pure state, all nerve agents are colorless and odorless liquids.

They enter the respiratory system in gaseous or aerosol form: in the form of very small particulate matter or droplets that, when released into the air, behave like a gas. Nerve agents in liquid state penetrate the body through the skin or mucous membrane. A person can also become poisoned by consuming liquid or solid food contaminated with a nerve agent.

When a nerve agent is inhaled, poisoning occurs very quickly, with death occurring within one to ten minutes. When the nerve agent enters the body through the skin, poisoning occurs more slowly. Lethal dose VX on exposed skin corresponds to one to two drops (5-15 mg).

In the case of a low dose of a nerve agent in gaseous or aerosol form, typical symptoms are a severe runny nose, abnormal contraction of the pupil of the eye, impaired visual accommodation, and a feeling of pressure in the chest. With more severe poisoning, these symptoms become more pronounced. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, spasms, convulsions and spontaneous bowel movements and urination, convulsions and coma. This is followed by respiratory arrest and death.

The material was prepared based on information open sources

Photo I-Images / Zuma / TASS

Many theories surrounding the spy scandal in Great Britain are generated by insufficient awareness of the most advanced chemical weapons in human history. The truth is much scarier and more unpleasant

On March 4, 2018, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who came to him from Russia, were found unconscious and with visible injuries on a bench in Salisbury. They were taken to the hospital, where it turned out that both were in a coma. Another 36 people complained of milder symptoms of poisoning. The investigation showed that they were poisoned with A-234, one of the substances of the Novichok family, created back in Soviet time. The Telegraph reported, citing a source in the British intelligence services, that some item from Yulia Skripal’s suitcase was impregnated with this substance, which she was supposed to open only in London, in the presence of Sergei. On this basis, the head of the British government, Theresa May, accused Moscow of using chemical weapons on British territory. How realistic is this version?

The substance itself is quite well known from the data of Vila Mirzayanov, a chromatographer who, in Soviet times, developed methods for controlling leaks of this substance. They were later confirmed by one of the developers of this compound. What Skripal was poisoned with, in its original form, is the most powerful chemical weapon on Earth. It is five to eight times more toxic than the best chemical weapon created in the West, VX. If half of poisoned people die from VX when 10 milligrams come into contact with their skin, then for substances from the Novichok registry, two milligrams is enough.

In other words, in theory, they are more effective than the plutonium in an atomic bomb: the 6 kg of plutonium-239 in the Fat Man atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed fewer than 100,000 people. The same amount of Novichok is enough to kill 3 million people (6 kilograms = 6 million milligrams). In practice, however, more will be needed, because it will quickly spread through the air, and under natural conditions the poison is unstable and quickly disintegrates.

Turns out it's a great weapon. mass destruction. And for exactly the same reasons, this is a very, very dubious decision to eliminate one former enemy spy, like Sergei Skripal. Think about it: what should be the dose to kill the target person and not kill the person who delivers the poison? According to the newspaper, Yulia Skripal was carrying a suitcase from Moscow. On an airplane, luggage experiences serious pressure changes, so there is a risk of substance leakage even from a tightly packed package. You don’t need a lot of it, that is, Yulia Skripal (and with just a few grams of poison, the whole plane with her), if this version is true, could die while still in flight.

Moreover, the “newbies” are not very resilient; it is very difficult to guarantee how much of their mass will survive to London and whether there will be enough of it there to kill the target person. You need to give with a reserve, and this means creating a threat mass death of people. Murder the right person- this is a top-secret operation, not Kursk Bulge. There is no need for a tank barrel sticking out of the case materials; on the contrary, a jewelry operation is needed.

That is, the highest toxicity of all known substances and instability, which made “newbies” a good chemical weapon, at the same time make it a super inconvenient means for political assassinations. Due to the ricketiness of the “suitcase from Moscow” version, they began to look for alternative, less funny options. But this was greatly hampered by the fact that “any evidence is almost completely absent,” as the English press reported, citing local intelligence services.

How Novichok really kills

It is known from practice that if you are going to kill with chemical weapons, then you need to do it completely differently. On February 13, 2017, with the help of VX created in the West, Kim Jong-un's brother was killed in Malaysia. One woman distracted him while another threw a VX-soaked scarf over his face (and they are still on trial). This is it really professional work- targeted killing, no outside victims. And the dose was calculated perfectly - the brother of the ruler of the DPRK died in less than 20 minutes, this is not Skripal’s multi-day coma.

Another thing is that only Koreans attack like this. In such an action it is impossible not to leave traces, but Koreans do not need to hide. An attack of this kind can be targeted only by using people who will then be detained, and this means the loss of an agent. Raising agents is time-consuming and expensive, and the FSB cannot afford to lose a couple of people per liquidation.

Chemical composition of the poison “Novichok”

Previously, Rosbalt described how the FSB poisons foreign citizens: not at all as crude and ineffective as with Skripal. During the liquidation of the terrorist Khattab in 2002, he was given a letter soaked in poison. The poison was far from “new” - it only killed Khattab, and no one else. No unnecessary casualties, quick and reliable death of the target person. This really looks like the work of the special services, and not a parody.

The work of an experienced intelligence service is not visible in the liquidation of Skripal: former employee The GRU and later British spy is still alive after being attacked by the deadliest substance on Earth, albeit in a coma. This means only one thing - Skripal was not poisoned Russian intelligence services, because the poison was not made according to the original recipe. Technically this is possible, but not for the FSB.

Some conspiracy theories

Intelligence agencies sometimes kill someone in such a way that it looks like a competitor's intelligence agency. Not so long ago English historian Douglas Smith found in Russian archives receipt for issue to one of the employees Russian police, who followed Grigory Rasputin in 1916, a Webley .455 revolver.

And somehow it coincided that soon after this Rasputin was found with a hole in his forehead - the hole was from a bullet from that particular Webley, with a unique British caliber .455. Why the Russian security forces needed this is not difficult to understand. Rasputin was used by the press to discredit royal family, there was a reason for the Russian guardians of the throne to overwhelm him in the civil service. But I didn’t want to make sure that the investigation would later lead to them. I had to take a pistol from the department’s fund, which made everyone think that it was the insidious British who killed Rasputin.

Kill today former agent unique Russian chemical weapons - this is a good blow to the reputation of the Russians. She is still the type that will believe anything. After all, as Vil Mirzayanov noted, the formulas he published make it possible for many to make such weapons large companies West. By organizing the murder of Skripal by the “insidious Russians,” you can put additional pressure on Moscow - they say, how can it be that you are using chemical weapons, although you promised to eliminate them.

On the other hand, since the 1990s, the British intelligence services have finally been brought under real control and have no right to the whole procedure complex agreement (sometimes up to parliament) to kill a prominent foreigner not in self-defense. But as many as 38 people suffered from Novichok poisoning, 37 of them were British citizens.

Yes, the rest of the victims (except the Skripals) just have moderate problems with nervous system, which is what this substance acts on. But when dealing with such a powerful poison, there was no way to guarantee that someone close to them wouldn't die. Setting up a fake “trace of Moscow”, risking the lives of dozens of British people, is too simple and too crazy. They don't work like that today, it's not the CIA.

Most of all, what happened looks like the work of a novice - only not a chemical one, but a novice in such work as liquidation former spies. This someone could really create a “newbie” based on data from open literature. The fact is that Vil Mirzayanov at one time really wanted to incriminate Soviet power, that’s why he published the general formulas of “newbies” in the open literature, believing that “without knowledge, the most accurate equipment and the most experienced personnel, it’s simply impossible to synthesize “Novichok”.

One thing he didn't take into account: in fact, any smart and fanatical player on the international stage could have the knowledge, equipment and personnel. The example of the DPRK showed that more complex things can be done, even being poor and under a constant embargo.

The scientist speaks with pride about his action “ Novaya Gazeta": "It was necessary to deprive Russia of its secret forever." Well, he deprived Russia. And at the same time he gave this secret to any sufficiently literate terrorists. After all, although “newbies” are comparable to atomic bomb in terms of lethality, but are made simpler. By opening the formulas, the whistleblower of the Soviet chemical weapons program opened Pandora's box. A group of energetic and quite educated people could very well have made a rough version of Novichok. The fact that this is exactly what is homemade, made according to general formulas from open sources, as indicated by one of the developers of the “newbies”, Professor Leonid Rink. It is very strange that such an effective substance caused symptoms of poisoning in 38 people, but did not kill any of them and only brought two to a coma. But in the hands of an inept manufacturer, even an AK or RPG-7 will turn out to be extremely unreliable and weak.

What will happen if a country or organization that wants to aggravate relations between Russia and the West receives such a crude analogue of “newcomers” and sprays it from drones, bought en masse for $300 on Ali Express, in the capital western country? However, the author has already gone too deep into theories.