The Russian Foreign Ministry called Berlin's statements on the case of Alexei Navalny a "propaganda attack", in particular, drawing attention to the words of the country's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, which he said on October 7 in the Bundestag.

Maas then said that the West expects Russia to clarify the situation with Navalny, promising otherwise to impose sanctions against allegedly responsible persons on the Russian side.

He also recalled that Russia sent Germany several requests for legal assistance, to which the Federal Republic of Germany was ready to respond, but the requests allegedly refer to "Navalny's personal data", in connection with which the patient must agree on a permit, TASS reports.

“If Mr. Minister found it possible to use not diplomatic channels, but the rostrum of the Bundestag for broadcasting his concerns, in order to avoid possible distortions from the German side in this regard, we will also answer him publicly,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that all chemical weapons available in Russia were destroyed under the strictest international control. 

The procedure was completed on September 27, 2017, and on October 11, the fact of the final destruction of chemical weapons in the country was certified by the Director General of the OPCW Technical Secretariat.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry drew attention to the fact that the Novichok substance, which, according to the German side, could have poisoned Navalny, first appeared in the United States and was used by Western countries.

“As for the chemical warfare agent, called the“ Novichok ”in the West, its structure and mass spectrum were first presented in 1998 in the spectral database of the American Standards Institute (NIST 98).

It is significant that information on this substance came there from the research center of the US Department of Defense.

Subsequently, on the basis of this compound, a whole family of toxic chemicals was formed, which are not subject to the CWC, ”the ministry explained.

“They worked with them along with the Americans in no less than 20 Western countries.

So Novichok is a purely Western brand.

It is synthesized and is available in these countries in about 140 variants.

We don't have it, ”the Foreign Ministry stressed.

The Foreign Ministry also reminded that neither the doctors of the Omsk hospital, nor the doctors of the Berlin clinic "Charite" found traces of poisoning in the blogger's analyzes - they were allegedly discovered by the German military a week after the incident.

In addition, the Foreign Ministry recalled that in order to initiate a criminal case on the situation around Navalny, it is necessary to confirm the fact that a crime was committed against him, for which the results of the patient's tests proving his poisoning are needed: it is these that Berlin refuses to transfer to Moscow.

“We insist on the fulfillment by the FRG of its obligations under the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and the protocols thereto.

The German side must explain itself, despite the stubborn unwillingness to do so, ”the department concluded.

On the eve of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called absurd calls in the EU to investigate the incident with Navalny in a situation where Moscow refuses to transfer any data.

The minister noted that the proposal to work together was “arrogantly ignored” by Germany.

“Instead, we hear excuses and completely absurd statements that Russia should itself investigate this crime.

We cannot investigate a case in which we do not have any facts, ”Lavrov said during a press conference following a meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod.

We will remind, on October 6, OPCW experts announced the detection of toxic substances in urine and blood samples of Alexei Navalny.

The test results, the organization says, showed biomarkers of a cholinesterase inhibitor in the samples.

The specified substance is not included in the lists of the chemicals annex to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The OPCW said that they had transmitted their report to the FRG.

The European Union said that the association will develop an answer to the situation with Navalny, taking into account the organization's report.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova once again recalled that no evidence was provided in the Navalny case and Moscow was asked to "take its word for it."

According to her, the West does not seek to understand the situation, but uses it as a pretext for imposing sanctions against Russia.

"Sanctions, restrictive measures, stop lists always lead to one thing in international relations - retaliatory measures," Zakharova said.