Russian spy’s daughter Yulia Skripal was the REAL target of nerve agent attack, claims niece

DOUBLE agent Sergei Skripal’s daughter was the real target of the nerve agent attack that left them fighting for life, his niece has claimed.

Victoria Skripal said Yulia, 33, had a bust-up with her boyfriend’s mum after he announced they planned to start a family.

And relatives are now pointing the finger at the prospective mother-in-law after it was disclosed she was a highly-ranked Russian security official.

The mum, who has not been identified, is said to have been furious that her son was marrying into the family of a man who betrayed 300 Russian agents.

And sources close to the Skripal family say she launched the Salisbury plot to stop him being tainted.

Victoria, 45, from Yaroslavl, north east of Moscow, said: “My opinion is that it was done not against Uncle Sergei, but against his daughter.

What we know so far:

• Jeremy Corbyn was branded Vladimir Putin's puppet after refusing to accept Russia was behind the nerve agent attack.
• Theresa May announced she would kick out 23 diplomats in the wake of the Sergei Skripal case.
• The Russian Embassy has responded by calling the expulsion 'unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted' - and said 'response measures will not be long in coming'.
• The Prime Minister also confirmed government officials and members of the Royal family would not be attending the World Cup in Russia.
• Vladimir Putin ignored a deadline set by the PM to explain his involvement in the poisoning and instead warned Britain 'not to threaten a nuclear power'.
• Skripal's niece claimed that daughter Yulia could have been the real target of the nerve agent attack.
• CCTV footage emerged showing Skripal's last journey before the chemical attack.
• Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov was discovered dead with 'strangulation marks' on his neck on Monday night by daughter Natalia Glushkova in New Malden, South West London.
• Glushkov's daughter Natalia is believed to be in hiding after discovering her dad's dead body.
• The hunt for clues has now been extended 25 miles away to Gillingham, Dorset.
• Russian exiles have now been asked by cops to help identify a mystery couple aged between 35 and 40 seen close to Skripal and his daughter before they collapsed.
• Skripal and daughter Yulia remain in a critical condition in hospital after being exposed to the nerve agent in Salisbury on March 4.

“The mother didn’t accept Yulia and thought that, if she was a traitor’s daughter, then she herself would betray her country.

Victoria added: “The method is sort of typical for women. Women likes poisons, they consider this kind of way of reprisal beautiful.”

She said when she was last in touch with 66-year-old Skripal - who betrayed scores of colleagues in Russia’s GRU foreign intelligence service - he told her “everything’s fine.”

But he was still mourning the loss of his son Alexandr - known as Sasha - last year and was planning to have a new stone put on his grave in a Salisbury churchyard.

Victoria told the pro-Kremlin Mash Telegram TV Channel said: “He said that Sasha had a new grave stone erected. In other words, the whole chat could have been described in the words ‘everything’s fine’.

“Yulia came because it was the beginning of March and Sasha’s birthday was on March 1 and this would have been the first birthday they would celebrate without him.

“I think she just came to support her father.”

She insisted her uncle no longer had enemies.

She said: "When he moved to live in England, all his friends they were all visiting him. He was a very decent man.

"He lived like any other ordinary guy. He breathed, he ate, he drank. He had plans. He was busy with his cats and guinea pigs in his garden.”

Earlier today PM Theresa May demanded 23 Russian spies be kicked out of the UK after Russia missed its midnight deadline to comment on the nerve agent attack last week.

The Russian embassy hit back saying it dubbed the move "as totally unacceptable, unjustified and shortsighted" and warned of consequences.