Hindustan Times (Gurugram)

May: Russia behind poisoning of ex-spy

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LONDON: UK Prime Minister Theresa May blamed Russia for poisoning a former spy and his daughter eight days after the two were found slumped on a bench in southern England.

May told Parliament on Monday that Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia had been targeted with “military grade” nerve agent of a type known to be developed by Russia.

“The government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia was responsibl­e,” May said. “Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country, or the Russian government lost control.”

May said the attack fits a pattern of Russian aggression, adding that Moscow’s ambassador has been summoned to explain what happened.

May’s announceme­nt comes less than a week before Russians go to vote in an election that will be almost certainly grant Vladimir Putin a fourth term as president.

When asked if his country was to blame for the poisoning, Putin said on Monday: “Get to the bottom of things there, then we’ll discuss this.”

The two victims of the attack were found unconsciou­s in Salisbury after coming into contact with what police later identified as a nerve agent. They remain in hospital. A police officer who arrived on the scene was also hospitalis­ed in a serious condition.

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