EU reportedly agrees to sanction nine senior Russian officials in response to Alexey Navalny’s poisoning

Germany and France have reportedly settled on EU sanctions against nine Russian state officials in response to the poisoning of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. Sources familiar with the EU negotiations told the newspaper Le Monde that the sanctions will target nine Russian nationals, all either members of the Putin administration or high-ranking state security officials. These individuals will be banned from entering EU territory and any assets they own in the European Union will be frozen.

European officials are also reportedly considering sanctions against Russia’s State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology, where Soviet scientists reportedly developed the first Novichok poisons. (Experts in Europe say Navalny was exposed to a substance from this group of nerve agents.)

• EU leaders are expected to adopt an official reaction to the attack against Navalny at their next summit, which begins on October 15.