Nyet to ‘Russophobic’ coverage

■ Your coverage of the alleged poisoning of Mr Sergei Skripal in Britain deserves a comment.

By making outlandish claims somehow implicating Russian special services and even President Vladimir Putin in the incident with the Russian ex-convict in England, your newspaper has outdone the tabloids.

The whole story as it is being presented by the British authorities – and by your paper – is so convoluted that it requires a really closer look.

For example, one might question the motives of the British foreign secretary Boris Johnson, who has awkwardly put the blame for the attempt squarely on the Russian government without even waiting for the police protocol.

Indeed, there are hard questions to be addressed to the British authorities, who are obliged to explain what happened to Mr Skripal (who, may we remind, served a prison term for high treason in Russia, was later handed over to the US authorities and then made his way to England).

It seems to us that the British officials have plenty of explaining to do.

Coverage of this story bears all the hallmarks of a most severe recent outbreak of Russophobia.

Vasily Velichkin Press secretary, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ireland, Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 14