Axios

The Novichok or N-series nerve agent — used in last week’s attack against Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, U.K. — is distinct from the better known G- and V-series nerve agents, which unfortunately have become more familiar after their use in Syria and by terrorist groups.

How it works: Nerve agents interfere with neurotransmitters, causing involuntary muscle contractions, impaired cardiac function and airway restriction, potentially culminating in death by asphyxiation. They interfere with the nervous system in stages, making rapid decontamination and treatment essential.

British police have opened a murder investigation into the death of exiled Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov, reports the BBC.

The backdrop: Two days after Theresa May laid out consequences for the attempted murder of one Russian defector, ex-spy Sergei Skripal, British police are treating another suspicious death as murder. Glushkov, whose cause of death was "compression to the neck," according to police, was a close friend of the late oligarch and well-known Putin foe Boris Berezovsky.

The sanctions announced yesterday constitute the Trump administration’s first retaliatory response to Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Yet the sanctions fail to hit Putin close enough to his power structures, such as those who hold money for senior regime officials, and lack appropriate coordination with allies, especially the U.K.

Why it matters: Although the sanctions are a welcome measure, they may not be forceful enough to deter Russia from interfering in the U.S. midterm elections this November.  

Sir Francis Richards, the former chief GCHQ (Britain’s version of the NSA), compares the "new Cold War" to the last one in a fascinating interview on the Economist Radio podcast:

“I think ‘war’ is … almost an obsolete word, in that war tends to imply that you have peace and then someone presents a bit of paper and then you’re the other side of a line. We’re in a perpetual conflict… it has rules that bind us but none that bind the aggressors.”

Why it matters: A Russian-manufactured chemical weapon was deployed in a British town, evidently at the behest of the Kremlin. In response, Theresa May expelled Russian diplomats. Now Vladimir Putin is preparing to expel Brits, all while claiming the West is acting hysterically and has no evidence. No western country seems to know how to fight on these terms.

One genuine piece of news behind the U.S. sanctions against Russian individuals and organizations is the attribution to Russia of a cyberhacking campaign that has targeted critical U.S. infrastructure.

The details: Per the Treasury Department’s statement, “Since at least March 2016, Russian government cyber actors have also targeted … the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation and critical manufacturing sectors.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin is all but guaranteed to win Russia's presidential election on Sunday. Voter turnout, on the other hand, is less certain. The Kremlin has set a target of 70% to secure the appearance of Putin's legitimacy, but, according to recent polling by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, no more than 67% of voters plan to show up. Should too few voters turn out, that might hand Putin margin of victory high enough to look illegitimate.

Why it matters: Putin isn't just looking ahead to his next term — he's looking at his own political future. He will need a resounding and legitimate-looking win to jump-start the term, as well as to plan for what happens beyond 2024 — when, for now at least, he is again barred from remaining president.

Russia plans to expel British diplomats in retaliation to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision on Wednesday to kick out 23 Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Russia has denied involvement in the attack, but British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Friday that it is “overwhelmingly likely” that Vladimir Putin was behind it. Even President Trump, who has defended Russia in the past, said Thursday that "it looks like" Russia is the culprit.

Researchers at FireEye announced Friday that they've seen an influx of what are believed to be Chinese spies hacking computer systems at U.S. engineering and maritime firms, particularly those with interests in the South China Sea.

Why it matters: Most spying is just that — spying. This does not mean that China is trying to sabotage the U.S. maritime industry. It does, however, offer a glimpse of what Beijing's intelligence priorities are.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping consolidates power and rolls out his trillion-dollar plan for international influence, there's one undeniable thorn in his side: Kim Jong-un. If the North Korean regime falls, a unified Korea likely means American troops on Chinese shores. But if Kim holds onto his nuclear weapons, the likelihood of a devastating war on China's turf keeps escalating.

The bottom line: The instability makes Beijing extremely nervous. Its goal: no chaos, no war, no nukes. And it will do whatever it takes to get there.