Keir Starmer: Responsibility for 2018 Novichok attack lies with Putin

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed on Thursday (December 4) that responsibility for the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the conclusion of a public inquiry into the poisoning.

The attack targeted former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, who were found unconscious in Salisbury, southern England, after the nerve agent was applied to their home door handle. Dawn Sturgess, a mother-of-three, later died after accidentally coming into contact with the discarded Novichok-laced perfume bottle.

The inquiry, led by former UK Supreme Court judge Anthony Hughes, concluded that operatives from Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, carried out the attack and that the operation was authorised at the highest level by President Putin.

Hughes described the attack as a “reckless” state-sanctioned act that endangered multiple lives.

In response, the UK government imposed sanctions on the entire GRU for the first time and targeted three additional GRU officers accused of orchestrating hostile operations in Ukraine and across Europe, including plotting terrorist attacks on civilians.

Starmer said the sanctions were justified and necessary, stating: “Today’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent lives. We will always stand up to Putin’s brutal regime and call out his murderous machine for what it is.”

The UK also summoned the Russian ambassador to demand an explanation and address what it called Moscow’s “ongoing campaign of hostile activity” against the country.

Britain has been one of Ukraine’s strongest allies since the 2022 invasion and has implemented broad sanctions on Russian individuals, companies, and political figures.

The inquiry emphasised the extreme recklessness of the operation, highlighting that the attackers discarded the nerve agent in a public area, endangering many innocent people.

It also noted that the Salisbury attack was not only an act of revenge but a public statement by Russia, signaling its power both internationally and domestically.

Comparisons were drawn to previous Russian actions, including the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the 2006 assassination of former FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London.

Russia has consistently denied involvement in the Salisbury attack, dismissing the sanctions as politically motivated and claiming they bypassed the U.N. Security Council. Russian officials have warned that Moscow reserves the right to respond.

The public inquiry’s findings and the new sanctions are expected to further strain relations between the UK and Russia, underscoring the ongoing diplomatic tensions exacerbated by Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine.

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