Five European nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, have accused Russia of using a toxin from poison dart frogs to kill Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The countries allege that Navalny was poisoned while detained in an Arctic penal colony two years ago, a claim Moscow dismissed as propaganda. According to the UK Foreign Office, traces of epibatidine, a toxin found in poison dart frogs, were detected in samples from Navalny’s body, suggesting it was likely the cause of his death. This toxin is said to be 200 times more potent than morphine and was first derived from the Epipedobates genus of South American poison darts, which is not naturally present in Russia. Epibatidine has been studied as a painkiller and for treating lung conditions such as asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. However, due to its toxicity, it is not used in clinical settings. Toxicology expert Jill Johnson states that the toxin, which can also be synthesized in a lab, works by blocking nicotinic receptors in the nervous system, inhibiting nerve activity. Overstimulating these receptors can lead to muscle twitching, paralysis, seizures, slowed heart rate, respiratory failure, and death if dosed correctly. Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died at age 47, was jailed after being convicted of extremism and other charges, which he denied. Russian authorities claimed he fell ill after a walk and died from natural causes, despite European laboratories confirming that Nalvany had died from the obscure poison.