Daughter of poisoned spy turns down Russian help

The daughter of poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal said yesterday that she doesn’t want help from the Russian Embassy in Britain as she recovers from the nerve agent attack that left her and her father in critical condition and created an international furore.

Yulia Skripal, 33, said in a statement that she finds herself with a “totally different life” than the one she had before the March 4 poisoning in southwest England. She was released from the hospital this week, while Sergei Skripal remains hospitalised.

“I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance,” Skripal, a Russian citizen who was visiting her father in the cathedral city of Salisbury, said in the statement. “At the moment, I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but if I change my mind I know how to contact them.”

Britain has blamed the attack on Russia, triggering a major diplomatic row.

The Russian Embassy in London has criticised the British Government for not allowing diplomatic staff to visit the Skripals since they were stricken.

Britain has said it is up to the father and daughter to decide whether they want to meet embassy officials.

— AP