Russia’s ambassador to the UK has rejected the findings of an official investigation into the loss of life of Daybreak Sturgess, killed after the Salisbury poisoning assault in 2018.
The report concluded Vladimir Putin “must have” authorised using a nerve agent within the assault and was subsequently “morally responsible” for the British girl’s loss of life.
Ambassador Andrei Kelin dismissed these claims and mentioned he didn’t have a message for her household as a result of Moscow was not concerned.
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Ambassador Andrei Kelin of Russia leaving the Overseas, Commonwealth and Improvement Workplace in central London in 2022. Pic: PA
“It’s a tragic death, it is of course sad and Russia has nothing to do with it,” he mentioned.
The poisonings of Sergei Skripal – a former Russian spy – and his daughter had been, he insisted, staged by the British authorities and secret companies.
“The script is very elaborated,” he mentioned.
“It has been done by very talented professionals. It reminds me of Ian Fleming or even Agatha Christie”
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Daybreak Sturgess. Pic: PA
However the ambassador supplied no proof to help his declare.
In distinction the British authorities and unbiased investigative journalists have produced considerable proof to indicate the poisonings had been the work of Russia army intelligence brokers.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of which Russia is a member, verified British claims novichok was used, a nerve agent invented and used solely by Russia.
A public inquiry discovered two brokers from Russia’s GRU spy company, utilizing the aliases Alexander Petrov, 46, and Ruslan Boshirov, 47, had introduced the Nina Ricci bottle containing the novichok to Salisbury from Moscow.
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Left to proper, Sergey Fedotov, Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov. Pics: UK Counter Terrorism Policing
The officers got here to London on 2 March with a 3rd agent, often called Sergey Fedotov, to kill Mr Skripal – a former Russian spy who labored as a double agent for the UK.
In its report, the inquiry mentioned Petrov and Boshirov had possible used this similar bottle to use the nerve agent to Mr Skripal’s door earlier than it was “carelessly discarded”.
Charlie Rowley, 52, discovered the bottle and gave it to Ms Sturgess, 44, who sprayed herself with its contents on 30 June 2018, and died simply over every week later.
Mr Skripal, 74, his daughter Yulia, 41, and Mr Rowley, 52, all survived, however had been left severely unwell.
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Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal.
Pic: Shutterstock
Ambassador Kelin mentioned the report had been timed to upset delicate peace talks over Ukraine.
He mentioned: “By this I think the British government would like to derail talks that are very interesting and in a high stage.”
The ambassador mentioned he was personally apprehensive about the potential of a wider battle erupting from the battle in Ukraine.
Requested if there was a higher likelihood now of battle between Europe and Russia than he had seen in his profession, he answered there was.
“Yes, of course, listening to all these statements, about the need to prepare for the war, like our president has said, recently, two days ago that, we do not want to wage a war against Europe.
“But when Europe want to wage a battle towards Russia, then we’re ready. Proper now.”
