Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal believes Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his Novichok poisoning, he told an inquiry held on Monday into the death of a woman who was unwittingly poisoned by the nerve agent.
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Skripal, who sold Russian secrets to Britain, and his daughter Yulia were found slumped unconscious on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018 after Novichok was smeared on the front door handle of his home.
Four months later, Dawn Sturgess died from exposure to the poison after her partner found a counterfeit perfume bottle which police believe had been used by Russian intelligence operatives to smuggle the poison into the country.
The Skripals, and a police officer who went to Skripal’s house, were left critically ill from the effects of the military-grade nerve agent, but recovered, as did Sturgess’s partner Charlie Rowley. Russia has repeatedly rejected British accusations that it was involved.
Skripal has not spoken publicly since the attack, but an inquiry into Sturgess’s death heard a statement from him saying that he, like the British government, blamed Putin, although the former spy said he had no concrete evidence for his accusation.
“I believe Putin makes all important decisions himself. I therefore think he must have at least given permission for the attack on Yulia and me,” Skripal said in the statement read out by Andrew O’Connor, the lawyer to the public inquiry.