Poisoning suspect is ‘Russian hero’

The second suspect in the Salisbury nerve agent attack was also a highly decorated officer in Russian military intelligence, it has been claimed.

The suspect was named on Monday by the Bellingcat investigative website as Alexander Mishkin, a military doctor in the GRU intelligence agency.

At a news conference in the Houses of Parliament yesterday, Bellingcat investigator Cristo Grozev said Mishkin had received the award of Hero of the Russian Federation from President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Grozev said the reporters from the Russian website The Insider had managed to reach Mishkin’s home village of Loyga, where they spoke to seven people who confirmed his identity.

“They confirmed that their Alexander Mishkin was the person who moved on to military school and then became a famous military doctor and who received the award of Hero of the Russian Federation personally from President Putin,” he said.

“His grandmother, with whom he grew up who happens to be a medical professional, has a photograph, ‘that has been seen by everybody in the village’, of President Putin shaking Mishkin’s hand and giving him the award.”