Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1541 of 3 July 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/1541 3.7.2026 COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2026/1541 of 3 July 2026 implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 of 15 October 2018 concerning restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons(1), and in particular Article 12(1) 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 Regulation (EU) 2018/1542.

(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 Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542.

(4) Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

(1) OJ L 259, 16.10.2018, p. 12, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1542/oj.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1541/oj 1/6EN OJ L, 3.7.2026 Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 3 July 2026.

For the Council The President T. BYRNE 2/6 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1541/ojANNEX In Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2018/1542, 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.

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3.7.2026 ENName 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.

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3.7.2026Name 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.

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3.7.2026 ENName 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.

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