IN THE WORLD TODAY

Police hunt for Novichok suspects

POLICE in the Czech Republic are hunting two men whose passports match the names of the Russian nationals suspected of the Novichok poisonings in Salisbury.

The UK Government said that “stands in full support” with the Czech Republic after authorities published photos of two foreign citizens who visited the country in 2014 and asked the public for any information about them.

The two were using Russian passports and were identified as Alexander Petrov, 41, and Ruslan Boshirov, 43.

It came as the Czech Republic said it was expelling 18 Russian diplomats who it had identified as spies in a case related to a huge ammunition depot explosion in the town of Vrbetice in 2014.

Petrov and Boshirov are wanted by police in the UK after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against them in connection with the attempted killing of Sergei Skripal in Salisbury on March 4, 2018.

Speaking about the latest it developments in the Czech Republic, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “The UK stands in full support of our Czech allies, who have exposed the lengths that the Russian intelligence services will go to in their attempts to conduct dangerous and malign operations in Europe.

“We are as determined and committed as ever to bring those responsible for the attack in Salisbury to justice, and commend the actions of the Czech authorities to do the same.”

He continued: “Russia must desist from these actions, which violate the most basic international norms.”