UK Inquiry Links Putin to Salisbury Novichok Poisoning

Senior British official testifies that the 2018 attack on Sergei Skripal required authorization from the Russian president due to its high geopolitical risks.

• Jonathan Allen, the UK's top Russia policy official, testified that the use of Novichok in the Salisbury poisoning was likely approved by Vladimir Putin due to the operation's significant risks and implications.
• The nerve agent Novichok, banned under international conventions, was stockpiled by Russia for over a decade for use against state enemies, according to Allen's testimony.
• The poisoning of Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and the subsequent death of Dawn Sturgess highlighted tensions between Russian intelligence agencies, which are described as often dysfunctional and uncooperative.
• The UK government responded swiftly to the attack, expelling 153 Russian intelligence operatives and building an international coalition, which reportedly caught Russia off guard.
• The inquiry also examined Russia's disinformation tactics, which aimed to sow doubt about the UK's findings and deflect blame through conspiracy theories and conflicting narratives.

3 Articles

POLITICO Evening Standard The Independent