Putin's admn fires head of FSB's poison labs over criticism of war in Ukraine: Report

The head of the Federal Security Service's secret chemical laboratories, Colonel-General Eduard Chernovoltsev, has been fired for criticizing the war in Ukraine, as per a report from Daily Mail. Chernovoltsev, 52, was in charge of NII-2 FSB, a research institute that develops poisons used against Kremlin adversaries such as opposition leader Alexey Navalny. According to a source, Chernovoltsev, who previously lived in Kyiv, expressed regret over the start of the military operation in Ukraine and privately expressed the belief that it had gone too far. These comments were seen as disloyal by the Kremlin, leading to Chernovoltsev's removal from his position.  

Colonel-General Eduard Chernovoltsev allegedly had a role in the poisonings of Russian opposition figures Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza. According to the Daily Mail report, Chernovoltsev's staff at the NII-2 FSB were directly involved in the use of the nerve agent Novichok against both men. Navalny was nearly killed in a poisoning attack during a flight from Tomsk to Moscow, while Kara-Murza was allegedly poisoned on two separate occasions in 2015 and 2017. Both of them are currently held as political prisoners in Russia. Chernovoltsev, who was also in charge of several other FSB units such as the FSB Special Equipment Centre, the FSB Special Communications Directorate, and the 8th FSB Centre (Information Protection), was officially retired, but reports suggest that he was dismissed. 

Eduard Chernovoltsev reportedly refused to undergo medical examination

It is worth noting that Eduard Chernovoltsev is only 52-year-old, the FSB's retirement age is much higher. Alexander Bortnikov, the current FSB director is 71-year-old. Chernovoltsev was also reportedly caught driving while intoxicated on two separate occasions. The second incident occurred while he held the rank of FSB general. According to reports, Chernovoltsev refused to undergo a medical examination and received assistance in avoiding criminal charges.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) is the main security agency of the Russian Federation and is responsible for counterintelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance. It is the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB and is considered to be one of the main instruments of the Russian government for maintaining control. The FSB has a wide range of powers and responsibilities, including the authority to conduct investigations, make arrests, and carry out surveillance and wiretapping. It also plays a role in the protection of high-level officials and the safeguarding of state secrets. It has come under criticism for providing inaccurate information to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which apparently gave him the impression that the Ukrainians won't resist Russian army.