original_query: What are Novichok agents and how were they developed?
query: What are Novichok agents and how were they developed?
answer: Novichok agents are a group of nerve agents, some of which are binary chemical weapons. They were developed by the Soviet Union and Russia between 1971 and 1993 at the GosNIIOKhT state chemical research institute as part of a Soviet program codenamed Foliant.  Design objectives included undetectability by standard NATO equipment, defeating NATO protective gear, safer handling, and circumventing the Chemical Weapons Convention.