Putin Directly Approved Skripal Poisoning, UK Inquiry Finds
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London – A highly anticipated report releasedโ today,โ 2024/12/04 16:03:08 GMT, has โdetermined that Russian President Vladimir Putin almost certainly authorized โคthe 2018 attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in โคSalisbury, England.โฃ The inquiry,led โby retired High Court judge Anthony Hughes,details overwhelming evidence
implicating the GRU,Russia’s โmilitaryโ intelligence agency,in the nerve agent attack.
The findings represent a significant escalation โin tensions between theโ United โฃKingdom and Russia, prompting immediate sanctions againstโค GRUโฃ operatives and the expulsion of a Russian diplomat. This case,โ involving the use ofโข the Novichok nerve agentโฃ on british soil, underscores โขthe โKremlin’s โฃwillingness to engage in brazenโ acts of aggression beyond its โborders, raising concerns about the โsafety โof dissidents and former โintelligence officersโ worldwide.โ The UK government has vowedโฃ toโ continue โคconfronting what it calls putin’s โ brutal โฃregime
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Theโ Salisbury โคPoisonings:โ A Timeline
sergei Skripalโฃ and his daughter, Yulia, were discovered unconscious on a park bench in โSalisbury onโ March 4,โฃ 2018,โข after exposure to the nerve agent Novichok, which had been applied โto the โฃdoor handle of his residence. Four months later, Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after herโข partner found a โขcounterfeitโ perfume bottle used by Russian agents to โsmuggle the toxin into the country.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| March 4, 2018 | Skripals poisoned in Salisbury |
| March-July 2018 | Inquiry launched |
| July 8,โ 2018 | Dawn Sturgess dies |
| December 4, 2024 | Inquiry report released |
According โขto the โreport, a team of GRUโ officers orchestrated the operation, and Hughes stated he โwas sure that theโข operation to murder Sergei Skripal was approved at the โhighest level of the Russian state
. The inquiry meticulously examinedโ evidence, includingโ travel records, dialog intercepts,โค and forensic analysis, toโฃ reach its conclusion.
Inโค response to the report’s โfindings, the British government announced new sanctions targeting individuals associated โwith โขthe GRU โand โขsummoned the Russian ambassador to protest the actions. โBritish Prime Ministerโ Keir โStarmer declared, The โคUnited Kingdom will always standโข up to Putin’s brutalโค regime and call itsโค murderous machinery what it is.
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Russia has consistently denied any involvementโฃ in the Skripal poisoning,โ dismissing the allegationsโค as โanti-Russian propaganda.โฃ The Russian embassy in London has not yet issued a statement.
Did You Know?
Novichok is a class of nerve โฃagents developed by โคthe soviet Union during the Cold War. They are significantlyโ more potent thanโ earlier nerve agentsโ like sarin andโค VX.
Pro Tip:
To learn more about the GRU andโค its activities,โ consult reports from the UK’s National Cyber Security Center andโค the US Departmentโ of Justice.
What further actions will the international โฃcommunity take to hold Russia accountable for its โขactions? How will this inquiryโ impact โfutureโข relations between the UK andโข Russia?
Background: Russia and โคPolitical Assassinations
the โSkripal poisoning is not an isolated incident. There is a documented history of alleged Russian involvement in assassinations and attempted โassassinations of defectorsโข and critics โฃboth withinโ Russia and abroad. โ these incidents,including the murderโ of Alexander Litvinenko โคin โฃ2006 (also using a radioactive substance),have consistently strained relationsโฃ with โคWestern governments. The use of nerve agents represents a โขnotablyโค alarming โคescalation, as it โคdemonstrates a willingness to employ weapons of mass โขdestruction on foreign soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Novichok?
Novichokโข is aโ highly potent nerveโค agentโค developed by the Soviet โUnion. It disrupts the โฃnervous system, leading toโ rapid paralysis and death if not treated immediately.
Who was Sergei Skripal?
Sergei Skripal wasโข a former Russianโ military intelligenceโ officer who โขwas convicted of spying for theโ UK. โคHe was released in a prisoner swap in 2010 and afterward settled in โSalisbury, England.
Whatโ is the GRU?
The GRU (Glavnoyeโข Razvedyvatelnoye Upravleniye) isโ Russia’s military intelligence agency, responsible forโค foreign military intelligence and covert operations.
What are the implications of โPutin’s alleged approval?
If confirmed, Putin’s directโฃ approval ofโค the Skripal poisoning signifies โa state-sponsored act ofโข aggression and aโ disregard for international law.
What sanctions have beenโ imposed?
The UKโ has announced newโฃ sanctionsโข targeting individuals associated with the GRU, freezingโ their assetsโ and imposing travel bans.
Thisโค is a developing story.We โencourageโ youโค to share this article with your network and join the conversation inโ the comments below. Don’t forget to โsubscribe to our newsletter for theโค latest updates โon this and other important news events.
