Suspected ringleader of Skripal nerve agent attack gang charged
Russian intelligence chief accused by police of key role in Salisbury Novichok poisoning incident
THE suspected ringleader of the Russian hit squad behind the Novichok attack in Salisbury has been charged by counter-terrorism police.
Maj Gen Denis Sergeev, a senior military intelligence officer who used the alias Sergey Fedotov, is accused of being part of the team who deployed a deadly nerve agent in an attempt to murder the former spy Col Sergei Skripal in March 2018.
He allegedly carried out the hit alongside Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, his fellow GRU operatives, who were charged by the Crown Prosecution
Service under their aliases Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov three years ago. Sergeev is believed to be the head of the elite GRU 29155 unit – which is said to specialise in sabotage, subversion and assassination.
Counter-terror police say there is evidence linking the three Skripal suspects with a number of other attacks around Europe, including an explosion at an arms depot in the Czech Republic in 2014 and the suspected poisoning of Emilian Gebrev, a Bulgarian arms dealer, in 2015.
Scotland Yard has not ruled out more people being involved in the operation and says there are a number of ongoing lines of inquiry.
In a statement in the Commons, Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said: “Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain and extradite them to face justice.”
Boris Johnson, speaking in New York, said: “They [Russia] should recognise ... justice must be done. Dawn Sturgess, an innocent member of the British public, died in that event and we want to see those suspects handed over.”
But Maria Zakharova, spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry, responded: “We strongly condemn London’s attempts to place the blame for what happened in Salisbury on Moscow, and we urge for a professional, objective and unbiased investigation into the incident. We’re reiterating our commitment to a thorough cooperation between law enforcement agencies and experts.”
Sergeev – who security sources believe was in charge of the operation – flew into Heathrow alone, two days before the Salisbury attack and checked into a central London hotel.
Dean Haydon, the deputy assistant commissioner who has been leading the investigation into the poisonings, said police now had evidence to show that the three met up several times over the weekend.
Analysis of his communications also established that Sergeev made numerous telephone calls back to Moscow during his three-day stay.
In addition to poisoning Col Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who was the first officer to attend the former Russian agent’s home was left critically ill. Fortunately, all three recovered from their ordeal.
Four months later, however, the nerve agent cost the life of Ms Sturgess, a local mother-of-three, after her partner Charlie Rowley found a discarded bottle of perfume which had been used to transport the Novichok.
Sergeev left the UK on the afternoon of Sunday March 4, while Chepiga and Mishkin were still in Salisbury, boarding the 1.45pm flight from Heathrow to Moscow. He faces the same seven charges as Chepiga and Mishkin, including conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal; the attempted murder of Col Skripal, Ms Skripal and Det Sgt Bailey; and the use and possession of Novichok contrary to the Chemical Weapons Act.
None of the three have been charged over the death of Ms Sturgess because while the police have linked the two incidents, they still do not have the evidence to show how Mr Rowley came by the perfume bottle that contained the fatal Novichok.