Media: Germany received a sample of Novichok back in the 1990s from a Russian informant

Germany's foreign intelligence agency BND received a sample of Novichok nerve gas back in the 1990s. This was reported in a joint investigation by journalists from the newspapers Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung and TV channels WDR and NDR.

According to media reports, a Russian chemist who had already been an informant for some time handed over a sample of the chemical. In exchange, the secret services promised to transfer him and his family to the West.

After the substance entered Germany, the Ministry of Defense and Helmut Kohl's office transferred the brought substance to Sweden, from where they learned the formula of the chemical.

The chemical was reported by Germany to allied countries, including the UK and the US. Later, a group of five countries was formed to study the substance.

Journalists claim that this was not announced publicly so as not to spoil relations with the administration of Boris Yeltsin. However, one of the representatives of the German Chancellor during a meeting in Russia told Moscow that Germany was aware of the work on banned substances.

Earlier, on May 3, Czech President Milos Zeman said in an interview with the Barrandov TV channel that a study was conducted at the Research Institute of the Czech Ministry of Defense, for which they produced the substance A-230, which, according to some sources, belongs to the Novichok family.

Prior to this, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova , stated that the poisonous substance could be produced in the Czech Republic, as well as in the UK, Slovakia, Sweden and the USA.

According to the UK, it was Novichok who poisoned former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Moscow denies all accusations.