U.K. Imposes Sanctions on Russia Following report Linking Putin to Novichok Poisoning Deaths
LONDON – The United Kingdom announced new sanctions against Russia on Thursday, following the release of a report concluding that President Vladimir Putin authorized the 2018 nerve agent attack on former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia. The inquiry also resolute the attack directly led to the death of dawn Sturgess, a British woman who unknowingly came into contact with the Novichok.
The report, led by former U.K. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Hughes, found the operation to assassinate Skripal “must have been authorized at the highest level, by president Putin.” Hughes further stated that all those involved in the assassination attempt were “morally responsible” for Sturgess’ death.
Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury in March 2018,having been poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.The inquiry revealed the poison was applied to Skripal’s front door handle and brought to the U.K.by russian GRU agents. These agents “recklessly discarded” the perfume bottle used to deliver the Novichok in a public area after the attack.
Sturgess died in july 2018 after her boyfriend found the bottle and gifted it to her, believing it contained perfume. She applied the substance and later became ill. “There had been no othre known instance of Novichok poisoning in the U.K., nor has there been any since,” the inquest’s final report stated.
The U.K. government’s statement announcing the sanctions highlighted the GRU’s alleged involvement in “hybrid operations,” including cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns, and the recruitment of criminal proxies.
“The U.K. will always stand up to Putin’s brutal regime and call out his murderous machine for what it is,” said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Today’s sanctions are the latest step in our unwavering defense of European security,as we continue to squeeze Russia’s finances and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.”
The U.K. will continue to collaborate with allies to “counter Russia’s attempts to destabilize our societies,” according to the government statement.
