The United Kingdom officially accuses Putin of poisoning Skripal: details of the report.

According to ТСН: The United Kingdom has officially accused Vladimir Putin of poisoning former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in 2018.

The investigative commission of the United Kingdom published a report stating that the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin personally ordered the use of a nerve agent against Sergei Skripal. The document emphasizes that the evidence of Russia's involvement in the attack is "overwhelming." Furthermore, it notes that as a result of the "reckless use of force," an innocent woman lost her life.

In March 2018, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench in a park in Salisbury, southern England. This occurred after the nerve agent "Novichok" was applied to the door handle of their home. Later, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess died after her partner found a counterfeit perfume bottle used by Russian agents to smuggle the poison. Skripal and his daughter survived, but only thanks to medical assistance.

Investigations and sanctions

The head of the inquiry commission and former Supreme Court judge Anthony Hughes noted that the assassination of Skripal was planned by a group of GRU officers:

"I have concluded that the operation to assassinate Sergei Skripal had to be approved at the highest level — by President Putin,"

Against this backdrop, the British government announced new sanctions against the GRU and summoned the Russian ambassador. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer commented:

"The United Kingdom will always stand up to Putin's brutal regime and call his deadly machine what it is,"

The Russian embassy in London has not yet provided any comments.

What happened earlier

• On March 5, 2018, it became known that former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were hospitalized after being poisoned with an unknown substance.

• It later emerged that they had been poisoned with a nerve agent called "Novichok."

• The country’s law enforcement agencies released photos and names of the suspects — they turned out to be Russians "Alexander Petrov" and "Ruslan Boshirov."

• A joint investigation by Bellingcat and The Insider confirmed that they were employees of Russian special services Chepiga and Mishkin. In February 2019, the name of the third suspect in the poisoning became known.

This case became significant in international relations and caused a huge resonance in society, as it confirmed suspicions regarding the use of toxic substances in political assassinations. The latest statements from the United Kingdom indicate that the country continues to insist on possible responses and sanctions against Russia for its actions. Further steps from the international community may determine the next phase in this ongoing crisis, which has lasted for several years.