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

Official Journal EN of the European Union 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). ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj 1/5ANNEX 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 Gender: male Igor Babkin is a scientist within the military sphere and head of laboratory at the 3.7.2026 Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal). (Игорь Юрьевич БАБКИН) DOB: 19.4.1978 Babkin previously worked with the chemical, radiological and biological defence POB: Cherkasy region, USSR (now Ukraine) structures within the Russian Ministry of Defence, including the 27th Scientific Centre Nationality: Russian and the Military Academy for Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence. INN: 770170119783 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 Function: head of laboratory at the Signal after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN a chemical weapon. 7718813855) 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. 2/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj EN OJ L, 3.7.2026Name Identifying information Grounds for designation Date of listing 27. Sergey Yevgenyevich GALAN Gender: male Sergey Galan is a senior scientist within the military sphere working at the Signal 3.7.2026 Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal). (Сергей Евгеньевич ГАЛАН) DOB: 13.6.1970 Galan previously worked with the chemical, radiological and biological defence POB: Kramatorsk, USSR (now Ukraine) structures within the Russian Ministry of Defence, including the 27th Scientific Nationality: Russian Centre, the State Scientific-Research Institute for Experimental Medicine and the Research Institute for Applied Acoustics. Function: senior scientist at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, he has researched and 7718813855) 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. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj 3/5 OJ L, 3.7.2026 ENName Identifying information Grounds for designation Date of listing 28. Irina Dmitriyevna Gender: female Irina Derevyagina is a chemical research analyst at Russia’s State Scientific Research 3.7.2026 DEREVYAGINA Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT). DOB: 24.3.1961 (Ирина Дмитриевна She authored two research papers on the clinical applications and testing of Nationality: Russian ДЕРЕВЯГИНА) epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny after his death. She is therefore INN: 772815862404 involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon. Function: chemical research analyst at the State Therefore, Irina Derevyagina is involved in the development of chemical weapons. Scientific Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GosNIIOKhT) 29. Mikhail Vasilyevich Gender: male Mikhail Gutsalyuk is a colonel and head of the department for organising scientific 3.7.2026 GUTSALYUK work and preparing scientific and pedagogical staff at the Military Academy for DOB: 2.3.1968 Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence. (Михаил Васильевич ГУЦАЛЮК) Nationality: Russian Together with chemists from the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal), he INN: 460501189420 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 Function: colonel and head of the department a chemical weapon. for organising scientific work and preparing scientific and pedagogical staff for the Military Therefore, Mikhail Gutsalyuk is involved in the development of chemical weapons. Academy for Radiological, Chemical and Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director Biological Defence of SC Signal. 4/5 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj EN OJ L, 3.7.2026Name Identifying information Grounds for designation Date of listing 30. Olga Petrovna YUDINA Gender: female Olga Yudina is a senior researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC 3.7.2026 Signal). (Ольга Петровна ЮДИНА) DOB: 24.11.1986 She also receives a salary from the Research Institute for Applied Acoustics, which has Nationality: Russian been involved in procuring materials that could be used in the production of chemical INN: 462601484461 weapon agents. Function: senior researcher at the Signal Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, she has researched and Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny 7718813855) 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 31. Aleksey Vadimovich Gender: male Aleksey Aksyonov is a researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC 3.7.2026’. AKSYONOV Signal). DOB: 8.10.1978 (Алексей Вадимович АКСЕНОВ) Together with colleagues at the Signal Scientific Centre, he has researched and Nationality: Russian published articles on the synthesis of epibatidine, which was found in Alexei Navalny INN: 366217317327 after his death. He is therefore involved in the development of epibatidine as a chemical weapon. Function: researcher at the Signal Scientific Centre (also known as SC Signal, INN Therefore, Aleksey Aksyonov is involved in the development of chemical weapons. 7718813855) Furthermore, he is associated with Artur Aleksandrovich Zhirov, who is the Director of SC Signal. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2026/1542/oj 5/5 OJ L, 3.7.2026 EN