‘Nothing criminal’ about suspects

Russian president Vladimir Putin has escalated the war of words over the Salisbury nerve agent attack by claiming there is “nothing criminal” about the prime suspects.

Police and prosecutors last week said Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov had been identified as members of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service. Authorities believe the pair smeared the highly toxic Novichok on a door at the Wiltshire home of former GRU officer Sergei Skripal, leaving him and his daughter Yulia critically ill.