UK Holds Putin Morally Responsible for Deadly Novichok Attack
Russia’s GRU sanctioned over nerve agent attack on Britain.
A UK inquiry has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears “moral responsibility” for the 2018 poisoning death of British citizen Dawn Sturgess, following a failed assassination attempt on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal. The report determined that the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, southwest England, must have been authorised at the highest level, implicating Putin directly in the operation.
The investigation detailed that the March 2018 attempt against Skripal involved the use of Novichok, a deadly nerve agent, applied to his home. While Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived the attack after intensive hospital treatment, Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, later died after unknowingly coming into contact with the substance through a discarded perfume bottle.
The inquiry identified the suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov as Russian intelligence operatives from the GRU, and described the actions of the operatives and their superiors as “astonishingly reckless.” Inquiry chair Anthony Hughes stated that those involved, including Putin, bore sole moral responsibility for Sturgess’s death, highlighting the extraordinary risks posed to the public.
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In response to the findings, the UK government summoned the Russian ambassador to account for Moscow’s continued hostile actions. In addition, Britain imposed sanctions on the GRU in its entirety, as well as on 11 individuals involved in state-sponsored hostile activities, signaling a firm diplomatic and punitive stance against Russia.
The inquiry further noted that the quantity of Novichok used was sufficient to poison thousands, underscoring the extreme danger of the attack. Skripal expressed his belief that Putin had ordered the assassination attempt, citing his professional experience and analysis of Russia’s actions, though he acknowledged the lack of concrete evidence linking the president directly.
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