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West's knowledge of Novichok nerve agent came from sample secured by German spy agency in 1990s: report

The headquarters of Germany's Federal Intelligence Agency, known by its acronym BND, is seen in Berlin, Germany, on April 30, 2015. Four German media organizations have issued a joint report stating that the country's foreign intelligence service secured a sample of the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok in the 1990s, and passed on its knowledge to partners including the U.K. and U.S. | AP

Reuters

May 18, 2018

BERLIN –

The West's knowledge of the secret Russian nerve agent the U.K. says was used to poison a former spy and his daughter came from a sample obtained by Germany in the 1990s, according to a report by German media organizations.

In a joint report published Wednesday, German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the weekly Die Zeit and broadcasters NDR and WDR said Germany's BND spy agency had secured the sample of the Novichok nerve agent from a Russian scientist.

The sample was analyzed in Sweden and the chemical formula was given to the German government and military, the report cited sources as saying. Western countries used the information to help develop countermeasures.

West's knowledge of Novichok nerve agent came from sample secured by German spy agency in 1990s: report

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