Putin Found Morally Responsible for Nerve Agent Death
- On March 4,2018,Sergei Skripal,a former Russian intelligence officer who defected to the U.K., and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury, England, with the nerve agent Novichok.
- The Novichok was contained in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle, and Sturgess came into contact with it believing it was perfume.
- A public inquiry, led by the Rt Hon Lord Justice Heather Hallett, concluded that the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal "must have been authorized at the highest level,...
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U.K. Sanctions Russia,Cites Putin’s “Moral Responsibility” in 2018 Novichok poisoning
Table of Contents
Published: November 29,2023
What Happened: The Salisbury Poisonings
On March 4,2018,Sergei Skripal,a former Russian intelligence officer who defected to the U.K., and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned in Salisbury, England, with the nerve agent Novichok. The attack left them critically ill. Four months later, on July 8, 2018, Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died after being exposed to Novichok that had been discarded in a perfume bottle according to a report published November 29,2023.
The Novichok was contained in a counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle, and Sturgess came into contact with it believing it was perfume. The bottle had been previously handled by the individuals believed to be responsible for the Skripal poisoning.
The Inquiry Findings and Putin’s “Moral Responsibility”
A public inquiry, led by the Rt Hon Lord Justice Heather Hallett, concluded that the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal ”must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin,” and that Putin bears ”moral responsibility” for the subsequent death of Dawn Sturgess as reported by The Guardian. The report detailed the extensive planning and resources involved in the operation, suggesting it was a deliberate act of state-sponsored aggression.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the report “is clear: moral responsibility lies with Putin,” and characterized the attack as “shocking and reckless unfriendly activity” according to Reuters.
U.K. response: Sanctions and Diplomatic Action
In response to the inquiry’s findings, the U.K. government announced sanctions against the Russian intelligence agency, the GRU, “in its entirety” as stated in a government press release.The Foreign Ministry also summoned the Russian ambassador to London to express the U.K.’s condemnation.
The sanctions target the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, which the U.K. believes was responsible for the deployment of the Novichok agent. the scope of the sanctions is extensive, aiming to disrupt the GRU’s operations and hold it accountable for its actions.