May tells British MPs it is ‘highly likely’ that Russia poisoned Sergei Skripal

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday it was “highly likely” that Moscow was responsible for the attack on a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Salisbury, southern England.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and Yulia Skripal, 33, were poisoned by a military grade nerve agent, Mrs May said in a statement to the House of Commons.

“This is a group of nerve agents known as ‘Novichok’,” she said.

The prime minister chaired a national security council meeting yesterday with senior ministers and security officials to discuss the Skripal attack.

Mrs May said either Russia had ordered the poisoning or it had lost control of the nerve agent used and said Moscow must provide an explanation as to what happened by the end of today. She said that Britain will conclude the attack “amounts to an unlawful use of force” if Russia does not give a “credible response” to her ultimatum.

The Russian embassy in London yesterday issued a statement saying the UK government was playing a “very dangerous game” with British public opinion over the Skripal attack. “We would like to stress once again that we are outraged by the antiRussian media campaign, condoned by the government, that influences the investigation and has a psychological effect on British residents. Our compatriots and British nationals of Russian origin are worried about their future in this country. UK-based Russian journalists are receiving threats,” the statement read.

“Current policy of the UK government towards Russia is a very dangerous game played with the British public opinion, which not only sends the investigation upon an unhelpful political track but also bears the risk of more serious long-term consequences for our relations.”