Boris blames Putin for ordering attack
Boris Johnson blames Russian president for Skripal poisoning
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson – with Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz at the Battle of Britain Bunker museum in Uxbridge – said it was ‘overwhelmingly likely’ Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia
A murder inquiry has been launched into the death of prominent Kremlin critic Nikolay Glushkov on British soil, police have confirmed.
Yesterday’s announcement came after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was “overwhelmingly likely” that Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the use of a nerve agent in the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury.
Mr Glushkov, 68, was found dead at his home in Clarence Avenue, New Malden, southwest London, on Monday. The Metropolitan Police were called to the scene at 10:46pm and initially said the death was being treated as unexplained.
But a post-mortem investigation, which began on Thursday, concluded he was killed by compression to the neck, the force said.
Despite parallels with the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter on 4 March, detectives said that at this stage there was nothing to link the two attacks.
There was also no evidence that the businessman was poisoned, the force added.
A murder investigation has been launched, led by the counter-terrorism command, who will retain primacy “because of the associations Mr Glushkov is believed to have had”, the Met said.
Mr Glushkov was outspoken after the death of his close friend Boris Berezovsky – another enemy of Mr Putin.
Mr Berezovsky was a friend of murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko and a thorn in the side of the Russian regime.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Johnson directly blamed President Putin for the attack on Mr Skripal and his daughter.
Visiting the Battle of Britain Bunker museum in Uxbridge, the Foreign Secretary said: “Our quarrel is with Putin’s Kremlin, and with his decision – and we think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision – to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War. That is why we are at odds with Russia.” His comment, which came as Britain awaited Moscow’s response to the expulsion of 23 of its diplomats, earned a scathing rebuke from Mr Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, who said: “We have said on different levels and occasions that Russia has nothing to do with this story.
“Any reference or mentioning of our president is nothing else but shocking and unpardonable diplomatic misconduct.”
The Kremlin is also considering its response to the United States after Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on Russians allegedly involved in interfering with the 2016 US elections and cyber-attacks.