GP WMD Counter Disinfo

Debunking CBRN Ritishchev Briefing Alexey Rtishchev’s December 2025 Briefing Debunked On December 12, 2025, Major General Alexey Rtishchev, Deputy Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, […]

Read the full analysis here: gpwmdcounterdisinfo.com/policy-brief...

By learning to recognize these tactics, the global #nonproliferation and disarmament community can build resilience to CBRN #disinformation, safeguarding vital multilateral agreements and norms.

Our team systematically debunked a selection of allegations in the briefing while also drawing attention to the broader tactics used in such campaigns.

These allegations were also shared in a note verbale submitted to the #OPCW.

On December 12, 2025, Major General Alexey Rtishchev, Deputy Chief of Russia’s Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Protection Troops gave a briefing that contained numerous false allegations pertaining to biological, chemical, and radiological weapons.

New analysis from the @gpwmd.bsky.social Counter WMD Disinformation Initiative examines and debunks false CBRN weapons allegations circulated by Russian officials. @centerforhealthsecurity.org
@kingscollegelondon.bsky.social
@OpenNuclear

Like the biological and chemical weapons disinformation roadmaps previously shared, this roadmap is designed to enhance the ability of the #nonproliferation, arms control, and disarmament community to identify and resist manipulative tactics that undermine global security.

This roadmap provides an overview of the common disinformation tactics seen in IAEA, NPT, and UNGA 1st Committee meetings and documents.

Roadmap of a Radiological/Nuclear Disinformation Campaign What does this commonly used tactic look like in official documents and statements?

We're happy to share one of our latest tools to build resilience to WMD disinfo: The Radiological/Nuclear Weapons Disinformation Roadmap gpwmdcounterdisinfo.com/policy-brief...

New Publication Alert! In the Feb edition of @CBRNeWorld, our @gpwmd.bsky.social Initiative partner @opennuclear, explores what cross-sectoral insights on #CBRN disinfo mean for emergency preparedness & response.
cbrneworld.com/magazine/lat...

#BSWN convenes professionals from government, industry, civil society and related sectors to strengthen regional dialogue on nuclear security and #non-proliferation.

Drawing on psychology, media studies, political marketing, strategic communication and information technology, the presentation in Vienna examined how #WMD disinformation narratives influence perception and behaviour, using the ZNPP false flag case as illustration.

Earlier this month, our @gpwmd.bsky.social Initiative partner to #counterdisinfo, @opennuclear contributed to @bsw_in_nuclear Workshop “Regional Perspectives on Non-Proliferation, Radiological and Nuclear Security” with cross-sectoral insights on #radiological and #nuclear disinfo

Last week, one of our partners @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social provided a training session on information integrity to #1972BWC National Focal Points. We were happy to hear so many of the attendees found the exercise useful and our thanks to @ungeneva.bsky.social for organizing!

The @gpwmd.bsky.social Counter Disinformation Initiative will continue to monitor these developments in an effort to safeguard information integrity and preserve nonproliferation norms.

We expect Russia to continue to spread #disinformation designed to confuse and distract both the public and the disarmament community.

Russia continues to deny all of these cases and uses its disinformation playbook to muddy the information environment, avoid responsibility, and obstruct multilateral disarmament proceedings.

The poisoning of Navalny with epibatidine represents only one case in a long line of recent violations by Russia of the CWC, including the 2018 Salisbury novichok poisonings, the 2020 novichok poisoning of Navalny, and Russia’s ongoing use of chemicals as weapons in Ukraine.

In its note verbale, Russia also claimed that epibatidine does not fall under the scope of the CWC. While epibatidine is not a scheduled chemical under the CWC, the General Purpose Criterion ensures the Convention covers all toxins or chemicals when used for prohibited purposes.

This is a common tactic used to distract and shift blame.

Russia responded by submitting its own note verbale to OPCW on Feb 16th, in which it denied responsibility for Navalny’s death & deflected by claiming that questions it posed to UK, France, Germany, and Sweden in 2021 regarding Navalny’s Novichok poisoning remained unanswered.

Following the press release, the five states submitted a joint note verbale to the OPCW to inform the organization of Russia’s violation.

Given that Navalny was in Russian custody at the time of his death, the five governments concluded that the Russian Federation was responsible for the poisoning, thereby violating both the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).

On February 14th, five GP members - the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Germany, and The Netherlands - issued a press release stating that Russian journalist and opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison in 2024, was poisoned with the toxin epibatidine.

📍 This week, #GPWMD members and partners gathered in Paris for the first Global Partnership Working Group (#GPWG) meeting of 2026 under France’s #G7 presidency.

We also had another productive meeting with our Steering Group and observers to update our partners on our recent activities and upcoming plans. Thank you to @globalaffairs.canada.ca for chairing and all that attended and engaged with us!

Our Initiative to #counter #WMD disinfo presented our latest debunking analysis during the CBRN working group session. We will be releasing this report online next week so stay tuned! @centerforhealthsecurity.org @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social @OpenNuclear

These meetings are a great opportunity for our Initiative to not only engage with GP countries and delegates but also coordinate with other great implementing organizations and NGOs working in this space.

It was a great few days at the @gpwmd.bsky.social working group meetings this week under the French presidency. GP members continue to face #CBRN disinformation which impacts their important work on disarmament and nonproliferation.

The Global Partnership welcomes France as the #G7 GP President for 2026. France assumes the role at a defining moment for international security, where evolving #CBRN threats require collective vigilance & cooperation.