Suspect ‘has job at danger disease drug making firm’
A SPY charged with the Novichok attack works for a company that develops vaccines for dangerous infectious diseases, it is claimed.
Ruslan Boshirov, 40, reportedly holds a position at Microgen, manufacturer of immunobiological drugs.
The firm’s website says it is owned by the Russian government, and states: “The priority area of business is the production of vaccines for dangerous infectious diseases.”
It is unclear if the job would give Boshirov expertise in handling Novichok. But a position at the firm could have provided him with good cover to travel Russia and the world.
An English-speaking employee there refused to comment yesterday.
Alexander Petrov, believed to be 39, was also charged a day earlier.
Russian reports say his grandad Ivan Starchenko served under Stalin as a commander of SMERSH’s 31st shooting brigade during the Second World War. SMERSH was set up by Stalin to root out and kill spies.
Petrov’s gran Nadezhda Moroz, later Ivan’s wife, was reportedly a typist for the same rifle division. While Petrov’s uncle Valery Starchenko, 66, is a paratrooper.
There is evidence that Petrov made a trip to London last year, from February 28 to March 5, Russian news website Fontanka claims.
According to flight records, he and Boshirov also made previous trips together to Europe. Both men’s names are believed to be aliases.
Boshirov had a Facebook account with one friend, Yulia Chopivskaya. She said a man “introduced himself as Ruslan” at a cafe in Prague five years ago but did not stay in touch.
The Ukrainian said: “He asked how to find me on Facebook and added me there. We chatted for half an hour maximum. Since then I haven’t seen him. This is a nightmare.”