SPY TO SPEAK
Salisbury Novichok ‘assassin’ reveals he’s going to ‘break his silence on Skripal poisoning – as Putin insists he ‘did nothing wrong’
ONE of the two men suspected of the Salisbury Novichok poisoning has today revealed he will break his silence on the accusations next week.
It comes after Russian president Vladimir Putin today said Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were "civilians" who had nothing to do with the attack that left Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia fighting for life.
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The men are believed to be officers of Russia's military intelligence service - the GRU - and are understood to have returned to Russia.
State TV channel Rossiya-24 reported it had spoken with Petrov, who declined to speak except to claim he worked for a pharmaceutical company in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
He added: "No comment for the moment. Maybe later. Next week, I think."
But Putin insists they are simply "civilians" and encouraged them to come forward and tell their story.
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Timeline of movements of Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov who are suspected of conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire
He added: "We have checked what kind of people they are... I hope they will turn up themselves and tell everything. There is nothing criminal in it."
Putin's comments set him up for yet another showdown with the West after countries - including the US - backed Theresa May's statement that Petrov and Boshirov were assassins sent by the Russian state.
In an escalating war of words, Russia claims the moves are to prepare the British public for aggressive measures against its country.
“The impression grows that the British public is being prepared for aggressive actions against Russia disguised as "defensive measures", with eventual consequences impossible to predict,” said the Kremlin’s embassy in London.
Russian diplomats said: "We urge the British authorities to abandon such hostile rhetoric, and be guided by international law and common sense.”
The embassy noted a series of official statements made lately to the effect that the UK should use its "massive retaliatory capabilities" to counter Russia’s “aggression”.
"It is worth recalling that Russia has made several proposals to the United Kingdom on different levels to establish cooperation both over the Salisbury incident," it said.
PUTIN’S PROPAGANDA MACHINE Russian response to Skripal poisoning
Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the poisoning and accused Britain of witholding information and not involving them in the investigation.
- If he did command the hit, Putin might have many motives. It may be a warning to other defectors, or a show of power.
- His blase response, and the government's sometimes-disparaging dismissal of foreign concerns reinforced the impression that the quasi-dictator does not have to answer to anyone.
- By claiming the UK's actions are intended to prep its populace for supporting aggression towards Russia, the Kremlin simultaneously muddies the water and creates a sense of injustice at home.
- Russian media has attacked the Novichok investigation on several fronts. It has claimed the poor execution of the attack suggests it was criminal rather than state sponsored, and now says the suspects are normal civilians.
- Diplomats also recently stressed they has made several proposals to the United Kingdom to establish cooperation over the Salisbury incident
- The attack, and Putin's response, bare striking resemblance to that of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, who was killed after being exposed to a radioactive substance
- Russia is a regular target for criticism and condemnation from media freedom watchdogs, with the majority of TV and Newspapers either state-run, or owned by companies linked to the Kremlin.
- Most toe the Kremlin's line, and critical voices are often attacked or even murdered.
- his allows Putin to get his narrative to the population largely-unopposed.
Petrov and Boshirov were named by Scotland Yard earlier this month as the two suspects behind the Novichok attack in March.
European Arrest Warrants were issued for the pair and cops said they were suspected to be travelling under aliases.
In a bizarre twist Russian state media claimed that Alexander Petrov previously ran a failed lingerie company near the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
Russian news outlet RT contacted his former business partner in Odessa, Sergey Prudnikov, who “did not say anything good about his companion”.
The Muscovite left his business roughly £13,640 in debt, he claimed.
The statements have spawned theories his identity was stolen by whoever carried out the attack in Salisbury.
Petrov, who reportedly works at a secretive Siberian plant that produces smallpox vaccine, has already denied he is a GRU spy.
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Putin appears to be playing from his own well-worn playbook, with a very similar reaction displayed following the assassination of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.
Nine years after the assassination, which used radioactive polonium, a report by Sir Robert Owen into the death named Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun as the perpetrators.
The report was rubbished by Russian State media, who branded it a fabrication, politicised and not transparent - all of this parroted the official line put out by the Kremlin.
Putin later rubbed salt into the wound, awarding Lugovoi a medal for "services to the motherland".
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In the recent attack the Skripals were saved by British doctors - with Yulia making a full recovery just weeks later.
She vowed to return to Russia, but her ex-spook dad is still receiving treatment for the “extremely painful” ordeal.
The same deadly nerve agent was also said to be responsible for the killing of mum-of-three Dawn Sturgess in nearby Amesbury, in June.
Her boyfriend Charlie Rowley picked up the fake Nina Ricci ‘Premier Jour’ perfume used to poison the Skripals on March 4.
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A chilling timeline revealed the men arrived in the UK on March 2 before making their way to the £48-a-night City Stay Hotel in Bow, East London.
They stayed there for two nights and then went to Salisbury for reconnaissance.
CCTV footage shows the pair - who are believed to be in the 40s - smiling as they stroll through the city on the day of the Skripal attack.
They were filmed "moments before" the botched hit on March 4 and left the country hours later in a flight out of Heathrow, cops said.
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Officers searching their room on May 4 - almost two months after the attack in Salisbury - are said to have discovered minute traces of Novichok.
Police said Novichok was brought into Britain in a Nina Ricci ‘Premier Jour’ perfume bottle with a specially made poison applicator.
Speaking after Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May told the Commons the suspects were members of the Russian Military Intelligence Service and were not carrying out a "rogue operation".
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Police name two Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov as suspects in the Salisbury novichok attack
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Police said they would not be seeking extradition for the pair, but Interpol Red Notices - which alerts all member countries that suspects are wanted - were issued.
In a joint statement with Scotland Yard, the CPS said: "There is sufficient evidence to charge two Russian nationals named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov with offences including conspiracy to murder over the Salisbury nerve agent attack."
Russia has denied any involvement in the attack on former Soviet spy Sergei - with the Russian foreign ministry laughing off the poisoning storm.
Their official Twitter account tweeted a split-screen video showing Mrs May's robot dance set against a blonde woman dancing traditional Russian moves.
Accompanying the video was the message: "Choose your dance style in international relationship."
TIMELINE OF EVENTS: How Novichok spread through Salisbury
Saturday, 3 March
- Around 2.40pm, Yulia arrives at Heathrow Airport on a flight from Russia.
Sunday, 4 March
- Sergei's car is seen in the area of London Road, Churchill Way North and Wilton Road about 9.15am
- About 1.30pm, Sergei's car is seen being driven down Devizes Road, towards the town centre.
- Ten minutes later, Sergei and Yulia arrive in Sainsbury's upper level car park at the Maltings. At some time after this, they go to the Bishops Mill Pub in the town centre.
- They dine at Zizzi Restaurant about 2.40pm.
- They leave Zizzi Restaurant about an hour later.
- Emergency services receive a report from a member of the public at 4.15pm and police arrive at the scene within minutes, where they find Sergei and Yulia extremely ill on a park bench near the restaurant.
Friday, June 29
- At around 12.20pm Charlie Rowley and Dawn Strugess are together at John Baker House in Salisbury.
- They then leave that venue and visit a number of shops in Salisbury before going to Queen Elizabeth Gardens.
- They return to John Baker House at around 4.20pm before catching a bus to Amesbury at approximately 10.30pm.
- The couple are then believed to have spent the night at an address on Muggleton Road, Amesbury.
Saturday, June 30
- At 10.15am, the South West Ambulance Service are called to an address on Muggleton Road, where Sturgess had been taken ill, and she was subsequently taken to hospital. Rowley was also present at the address at this time.
- At around midday, Rowley visits Boots the chemist on Stonehenge Walk in Amesbury and then returns to his address in Muggleton Road around half an hour later.
- At around 1.45pm Rowley visits the Amesbury Baptist Centre on Butterfield Drive and again returns home at around 3pm.
- At 6.20pm the South West Ambulance Service are called back to the address on Muggleton Road and Rowley is also taken to hospital.
Sunday July 8
- Police confirm Dawn has passed away, sparking a murder probe
Friday, July 13
- Cops reveal they found a bottle of Novichok inside the home of Salisbury victim Charlie Rowley
July 18
- Specialist officers search Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury, a park at the centre of the poisoning probe.
July 19
- Police are believed to have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Skripal attack.
- An inquest opens into the death of Ms Sturgess. Her body is formally released to her family for her funeral.
July 20
- Mr Rowley is discharged from Salisbury District Hospital after almost three weeks of treatment.
July 30
- The funeral of Ms Sturgess is held at Salisbury Crematorium.
August 8
- The US announces it will impose new sanctions on Russia in response to the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, issuing a a formal determination that Russia violated international law by poisoning the Skripals.
- The British Government welcomes the action, saying that it sends "an unequivocal message to Russia that its provocative, reckless behaviour will not go unchallenged".
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