PM names Russian pair accused of being behind the Salisbury nerve agent attack

THE Salisbury nerve agent attack was carried out by two Russian spies and sanctioned at a “senior level” in Moscow, PM Theresa May has said.

Police and prosecutors said they had enough evidence to charge the men, named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, over the poisoning in March.

The Prime Minister told MPs investigations have concluded that the two suspects are members of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service, and it was not a “rogue operation”.

Although Mrs May did not explicitly blame the Kremlin for authorising the attempted assassination, senior Conservatives directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of approving it.

Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said there was “no doubt it was state ordered and President Putin bears responsibility for a war-like act”. The

Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov are wanted in connection with the nerve agent attack in Salisbury

charge d’affaires at Russia’s London embassy was summoned to the Foreign Office for a dressing-down by an official following Mrs May’s statement.

Britain has also called a meeting of the United Nations Security Council — of which Russia is a permanent member — for today.

Mrs May spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday. She is expected to speak to other leaders as she seeks to forge an international alliance for further action against Russia.

The PM told MPs that the UK would push for new sanctions against Russians responsible for cyber attacks and promised to work with intelligence allies to “counter the threat posed by the GRU”.

Former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were left critically ill after being exposed to the military grade nerve agent Novichok in March.

Prosecutors deem it futile to ask Russia for the extradition of the men, but a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained.

Detectives believe the front door of Mr Skripal’s Salisbury home was contaminated with Novichok on Sunday, March 4.

Police said CCTV shows the two suspects near the property on that date.

Hours later, the men flew from Heathrow to Moscow, two days after they had arrived at Gatwick.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu also confirmed that officers have now linked the attack on the Skripals to events in nearby Amesbury four months later.

In the second incident, Dawn Sturgess (44), and her partner Charlie Rowley (48), were exposed to the same nerve agent used in Salisbury. Ms Sturgess died in hospital in July, just over a week after the pair fell ill.