Skripal poison attack: UK indicts third suspect

As of: 09/21/2021 3:41 p.m.

Three and a half years after the poison attack on the Russian ex-agent Skripal in England, British investigators have indicted a third suspect. Accordingly, it is an employee of the Russian military intelligence service GRU.

Police in the UK have charged a third suspect with the poison attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia. As the Metropolitan Police announced, it is a Russian citizen named Denis Sergejew, who is also known by the alias Sergei Fedotow. The charges include attempted murder and possession and use of a chemical weapon.

The British investigators assume that it is an agent of the Russian military intelligence service GRU. According to the British prosecution, the CPS will not file an extradition request because the Russian constitution does not allow extradition of Russians to other states. Should this change, Great Britain will try to extradite Fedotov. The Russian ambassador will be confronted by the Foreign Ministry with the matter, said a British government spokesman.

Two suspects already identified

Skripal and his daughter were discovered in March 2018 with serious poisoning on a park bench in the southern English city of Salisbury. As it turned out later, they had been poisoned with the neurotoxin Novichok. You just got away with your life. A woman who later came into contact with the poison container disguised as a perfume bottle in the neighboring town of Amesbury died. A man friend of her and a police officer also suffered poisoning – but both survived.

The British investigators had so far identified the two Russians Alexander Mishkin and Anatoli Tschepiga alias Alexander Petrow and Ruslan Boschirow as suspects, who were later exposed by journalists as GRU agents. In an interview on Russian television, the two had previously stated that they only traveled to Salisbury as tourists to visit “the beautiful city” and the “famous cathedral”. Russian President Vladimir Putin also referred to them as civilians.

Russia rejects responsibility

The Kremlin rejects any responsibility for the attack. The case led to a serious crisis between Russia and the West; both sides had dozens of diplomats deported.

British Home Secretary Priti Patel reiterated that she would do everything possible to arrest the suspects. Malicious behavior by Russia on British soil will not be tolerated. “We respect the Russian people, but we will do everything we can to keep our country safe,” she said in parliament.

The British authorities have already indicted GRU agents Petrov and Boschirov in the case. All three defendants are said to be in Russia.

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