“I believe that Putin makes all important decisions himself, so I believe that he must have at least consented to the attack on Yulia and me,” former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal wrote in an official statement. He spoke for the first time since the attack as part of an inquest into the death of a woman who died after being poisoned with Novichok in the UK.
Former Russian GRU military intelligence double agent Sergei Skripal, who exposed Russia's secrets while cooperating with Britain, was found unconscious with his daughter Yulia on a bench outside a shopping center in Salisbury in March 2018. British services reported that they were poisoned by a highly toxic agent called novichok. The substance was later detected on the door handle of his home. Ultimately, Skripal and his daughter recovered. The British prosecutor's office initiated an investigation into this case.
Four months later, in July 2018, Dawn Sturgess, then 44, died as a result of exposure to the drug. According to the Independent, the woman's partner, Charlie Rowley, unknowingly gave her a counterfeit perfume bottle, which – according to the police – was used by Russian intelligence agents to smuggle poison into the UK. Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly rejected British accusations related to these matters.
Following Sturgess' death, police also launched a public inquiry, with investigators looking into, among other things, how the vial got into the hands of Rowley and Sturgess. The investigation began on Monday, October 14.
Skripal spoke out
It was as part of the investigation into Sturgess' death that Skripal made his witness statement on Monday. They were read by lawyer Andrew O'Connor.
This is the first time the former Skripal has spoken publicly on the matter, noted Reuters.
“I believe that Putin makes all important decisions himself. Therefore, I believe that he must have at least consented to the attack on Yulia and me. Any GRU commander making such a decision without Putin's consent would be severely punished,” Skripal said in a statement.
“This is what I meant when I said that 'the secret services in Russia will not do anything without Putin's consent'. The fact that (Putin – editor's note) ordered the attack is my private opinion, based on my many years of experience and my analysis continuous degradation of Russia. I have no concrete evidence of this,” he said.
A view of Salisbury in the UKReuters
“I read that Putin is very interested in poisons”
The agent said that while on duty he gained access to secret information about illegal activities involving Vladimir Putin. He said that Putin – whom he claims to have known personally – was involved in illegal activities related to the disposal of rare metals.
“I read that Putin is personally very interested in poisons and likes to read books about them,” his statement said.
He also added: “I always thought poison was a KGB technique because it is not honorable.” “The GRU's relations with the KGB, and later with the FSB, were generally bad when I worked in the GRU, and we did not cooperate. So I personally did not see evidence that the KGB used poison,” he pointed out.
Sergei Skripal also denied that he feared for his life before the attack. He said he “believes certain precautions have been taken to protect him.” “I don't know exactly which organizations were responsible for my safety in the UK. I think the authorities took some precautions, but I don't know all the details,” he clarified.
“When I have received advice about my safety, I have generally followed it. I do not believe it has been suggested to me that I pose a risk to the British community – either generally or in relation to poison or other toxic substances,” he added.
He also emphasized that he “never thought that the Russian regime would try to murder him in Britain.”
Perfume with 'enough poison to kill thousands of people'
As determined by the investigation following the woman's death, she was caught in the “crossfire” of an international assassination attempt. As O'Connor pointed out, the evidence suggests that the perfume bottle contained “enough poison to kill thousands of people.”
“It can be concluded that those who threw the bottle in this way had a grotesque disregard for human life,” O'Connor said in court.
Attack on Skripal
On March 4, 2018, 67-year-old Sergei Skripal and his 35-year-old daughter Yulia fell unconscious outside a shopping center in Salisbury. Both were taken to hospital in critical condition. The British police later informed that the attack was carried out using a nerve agent, which turned out to be novichok, produced in the times of the USSR. According to investigators' findings, the attack on a former military intelligence colonel, who had been living in Great Britain since 2010 and cooperating with the local intelligence services, was allegedly carried out by GRU officers.
So far, British police have charged in absentia three Russians believed to be GRU officers in connection with the attempted murder of Skripal and his daughter. However, no case was brought against them in connection with Sturgess' death. They all deny any connection to the case.
The attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Great Britain has caused one of the biggest diplomatic crises in British-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War. It led to the expulsion of over 150 Russian diplomats from Western countries, including the US and most EU countries. It was the first use of chemical weapons in Europe since the end of World War II.
Main photo source: SPUTNIK POOL POOL