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BRITAIN-RUSSIA-POISON-DIPLOMACY
UK accuses Russia of ‘lies’ over Skripal poisoning
LONDON, Sept 12, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Britain accused Russia on Wednesday of
“obfuscation and lies” after President Vladimir Putin denied that the two men
Britain suspects of poisoning former spy Sergei Skripal with a nerve agent
were military intelligence officers.
“We have repeatedly asked Russia to account for what happened in Salisbury
in March, and they have replied with obfuscation and lies,” Prime Minister
Theresa May’s spokesman told reporters.
Britain last week issued European arrest warrants for Alexander Petrov and
Ruslan Boshirov on suspicion of trying to kill Skripal and his daughter Yulia
with the Novichok nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.
The British government has said it believes the attack was sanctioned by
the Kremlin — a charge that has been strongly denied by the Russian
government.
“These men are officers of the Russian military intelligence service, the
GRU, who used a devastatingly toxic illegal chemical weapon on the streets of
our country,” May’s spokesman said.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1840 hrs