'I TOOK IT AS A JOKE'
Ex-KGB spook reveals on Good Morning Britain that he was warned ‘something bad’ would happen to him and poisoned spy Sergei Skripal just weeks ago in chilling message
A FORMER KGB spook claims he was told his life was in danger along with poisoned spy Sergei Skripal — but he dismissed the warning as a "joke".
Ex-double agent Boris Karpichkov says he was told just weeks ago that "something bad" would happen to him and his fellow former spy.
6
Russian Skripal, 66 remains in a critical condition in hospital along with daughter Yulia, 33.
They were attacked with a nerve agent in Salisbury, Wilts, in what is widely believed to be an attempted hit ordered from the Kremlin.
Karpichkov claims he was warned about the threat to Skripal and himself in February when he was contacted by a "very reliable source".
In a sensational appearance on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, the ex-spy said: "When I was communicated this chilling message, I took it as a joke because I didn't believe."
6
6
He added: "It was exactly on the date of my birthday, which was 12 February.
"Message: That something bad is going to happen with me and some other people, including Mr Skripal".
Boris betrayed his Soviet masters by passing information to the pro-Western Latvian government in the 1980s.
He was forced to flee to Britain in 1998 on a false passport claiming political asylum when the post-communist Russian authorities found out.
Karpichkov claimed he had no idea who Mr Skripal was before the message named him.
6
6
6
He added that it came "from very reliable source who is a senior operative officer of certain Russian security service."
When asked if it was the FSB, the successor to the notorious KGB, Karpichkov said: "Yes".
Skripal was explicitly named as well as "several others", he added.
"As I told you, I did disregard it to be serious. Moreover, such things, with warnings and threats unto me, it's happened before.
"I now realise this warning was, what we call it, good intell.
"I believe Russian intelligence services are not only behind this attack, but behind many attacks which happened in this country and in other countries".
Poisoned spy Litvenenko's widow says people should have been 'punished' for his murder
MOST READ IN NEWS
His shocking testimony comes as Theresa May prepares to name Russia as responsible for the chemical weapons outrage in Salisbury after confirmation from spy chiefs.
The PM’s explosive move will plunge relations between London and Moscow into their worst crisis since the end of the Cold War.
Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said this morning the attack last Sunday is looking "awfully like it was state-sponsored attempted murder".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's a bit too early to be absolutely certain of that but we are expecting to see the Prime Minister make an announcement soon.
"And, frankly, I would be surprised if she did not point the finger at the Kremlin."
Poisoned Russian spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia seen on CCTV moments before being found unconscious with mystery woman beside them
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Topics