Overview

• The 2018 Novichok poisonings, which killed Dawn Sturgess and left several others seriously ill, were deemed preventable by an official inquiry.
• Counsel for Sturgess's family criticized the UK Government and Wiltshire Police for failing to protect the public and mishandling the response to the attacks.
• Russian military intelligence officers Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov were identified as responsible for leaving the nerve agent, allegedly with the involvement of Russian officials including President Putin.
• The inquiry highlighted systemic failures, including police dismissing paramedics' assessments and withholding critical information from doctors treating victims.
• Legal representatives for the family called the incident an unlawful killing and emphasized the ongoing public risk from such attacks.