SKRIPALS: RUSSIAN AGENT NO3 NAMED
Russian Denis Sergeev is accused of attack A “RUSSIAN spymaster” thought to be the “Third Man” in the Salisbury novichok outrage was said to have been identified yesterday.
Uk-based web investigators Bellingcat gave his name as high-ranking military intelligence spy Denis Sergeev.
The unit spent months looking into the nerve-agent poisoning of ex-russian spy Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia last March.
Sergeev, 45, a top figure in the feared GRU, is suspected of being the senior man involved.
Britain charged two Russians, aliases Alexander Petrov and Boshirov, with attempted murder in their absence. The pair were identified by Bellingcat as GRU operatives Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga.
A former British intelligence officer told the Mirror: “This new person was very senior.
“He is likely to have overseen pre-hit surveillance and helped ensure agents weren’t followed. Identifying him is a major develruslan opment. Bellingcat has done a tremendous job of embarrassing the people behind this.”
Bellingcat said on its site: “We can reveal the identity of this GRU officer, who operated under the persona of Sergey Fedotov.
“In fact, this person is Denis Sergeev, a high-ranking GRU officer and a graduate of Russia’s Military Diplomatic Academy.”
Skripal, 67, who betrayed dozens of Russian spies to MI6, and Yulia, 33, recovered but mumof-three Dawn Sturgess, 44, died later from Novichok exposure.
The Kremlin and the first two suspects deny involvement.