Poisoned spy’s daughter leaves U.K. hospital
LONDON — The spy saga that set off international tumult last month took a positive turn Tuesday as Yulia Skripal was released from a British hospital more than a month after she and her father were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent.
“This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone,” Salisbury District Hospital medical director Christine Blanshard said after Skripal, 33, was discharged and taken to a secure location.
Blanshard would not provide details about Yulia Skripal’s condition for reasons of patient privacy. Sergei Skripal, 66, the apparent target of the March 4 attack, is recovering more slowly than his daughter but continues to improve, she said.
No date has been set for his discharge, the doctor said.
“Both patients have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we’ve been providing. But equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery,” she said.
The father and daughter were found unconscious on a bench and remained in critical condition for several weeks. Their poisoning has revived Cold War tensions between Russia and the West.
The British government is likely to keep details about Yulia Skripal’s location secret, given the sensitivity of the case. It accuses Russia of carrying out the attack, which Moscow vehemently denies.
If she is well enough, she is likely to be extensively questioned by British security officials and police about her recollection of events leading up to her poisoning.
The Russian Embassy in London tweeted its congratulations to Yulia Skripal, but said Russia needs “urgent proof” that “what is being done to her is done on her own free will.”
The embassy accused British authorities of “concealing important evidence and blocking an impartial and independent investigation” by isolating Yulia Skripal.
It reaffirmed its request for consular access to her. She is a Russian citizen.
It is not clear where the Skripals will live if they recover enough to resume normal activities. British officials might feel Sergei Skripal would not be safe to live openly in England any longer.
Bob Ayers, a security analyst who used to work with the CIA, said it is possible the Skripals would be given new identities in Britain or the United States under a program like those used to protect witnesses in high-profile criminal trials.
They could also choose to live in the open under the assumption that Russia would not attack a second time, he said.
“They may not want to go into hiding,” Ayers said.