The attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in the UK deepened tensions between Russia and the West, and the case still isn't closed. DW presents a rundown of investigations and reactions related to the incident.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein
Advertisement
One morning in mid-February, a huge Russian flag suddenly appeared hanging from Salisbury Cathedral. Someone had to have climbed up a scaffold under cover of darkness to attach the white-blue-red stretch of fabric to the city's medieval landmark.
"Thankfully, it [the flag] has been removed now," said John Glen, the Conservative MP for the southern English city. "What a stupid stunt — mocking the serious events sadly experienced in Salisbury last year!"
Russia's involvement in these "serious events" is, from Westminster's point of view, even more obvious than a prominently hung, outsized flag. The consequences of the incident continue to be felt — and some details still remain unknown.
Two charged over Novichok attack
02:29
This browser does not support the video element.
Two unconscious, and one trail
On March 4, 2018, a man and woman were found unconscious on a park bench in the center of Salisbury. It quickly emerged that they were a Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia. Authorities soon discovered that they had been poisoned with the neurotoxin Novichok, which pointed to a trail leading back to Skripal's homeland, Russia. Skripal had fallen from grace after being found guilty of betraying Kremlin secrets. On March 12, British Prime Minister Theresa May declared in the House of Commons that Russia was "highly likely" behind the attack.
In hospital, the Skripals eventually recovered, but four months after the original attack, uninvolved people unwittingly fell victim: A British couple from the surrounding area found a perfume bottle that had evidently been used to transport the nerve agent to Salisbury. Both came into contact with residues of the toxin. The woman died, and the man went blind.
Sergei Skripal, seen here in a photo taken before the poisoning, had lived in the UK since 2010Image: picture-alliance/Globallookpress
Poisoned diplomacy
While the Skripals were still fighting for their lives, the political backlash escalated. Two days after the attack, the British foreign secretary at the time, Boris Johnson, said he did not want to point the finger at others. Nevertheless, he called Russia a "malign and disruptive force." Ambassadors were summoned, ultimatums were given and then dozens of diplomats were expelled on both sides.
Two dozen Western countries supported and followed the UK's measures. In September, London once again sharpened its criticism: Ben Wallace, minister of state for security at the Home Office, said the responsibility "ultimately" lay with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it was his government that "controls, funds and directs the military intelligence."
Putin and Skripal both served as soldiers
Search for perpetrators
The first wave of political reactions had subsided when the search for those behind the attack got underway. At the beginning of September, the British judiciary brought charges against two men who subsequently were made subject to a European arrest warrant.
In addition, the UK released some recordings from surveillance cameras, as well as the names under which the men had entered the country. Putin suggested that the two private individuals — known to the authorities — should explain themselves in person, which they did in an interview with the Russian state television station RT. They stated that they had traveled to Salisbury solely as tourists. Even some Kremlin-friendly Russians could not bring themselves to buy the story.
The two suspects were caught on surveillance videosImage: picture alliance/dpa/AP Photo/Metropolitan Police
Within a month of the indictment, the Bellingcat research portal published the true identities of the two men, who were operatives of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU. The investigative group reconstructed how Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga entered the UK under aliases: Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. Russia denied the accusations.
Yulia Skripal gave an interview to the press two months after the poisoningImage: Reuters/D. Martinez
New sanctions, new investigations
In autumn, the US imposed new sanctions against Russia. They were partly to penalize Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, but also explicitly as punitive measures for the Skripal case.
At the G20 summit in Argentina, Putin condemned the "malicious" sanctions and continued to deny any Russian responsibility. In January, the EU put leading members of the GRU and the two suspected assassins on a sanctions list.
After 11 months of radio silence, official diplomatic talks between the UK and Russia finally recommenced on the fringes of the Munich Security Conference in February.
The chemical used in the attack was identified at the Porton Down Science Campus near SalisburyImage: picture-alliance/empics
Chemicals weapons watchdog empowered
One year after the attack on the Skripals, the political and criminal investigation is far from over. However, the case has already brought about a regulatory change with regard to chemical weapons: The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) received additional powers from its member states in June
In the past, inspectors were allowed to check only whether chemical warfare agents had been used, a restriction aimed at ensuring the group's absolute political neutrality. But the rule meant that the perpetrators of the devastating attacks in the Syrian war, for example, could not be brought to justice. Now, inspectors are also able to follow up information that allows the watchdog to draw conclusions on those who have carried out such attacks.
The poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has caused a standoff between Russia and the UK. Russia has denied knowledge of the poisoning but that hasn't stopped other countries taking action.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Caddick
Ex-Russian spy poisoned
On March 4, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter were found slumped on a bench outside a shopping center in the British town of Salisbury. Authorities said both were in a critical condition after being exposed to an "unknown substance." Skripal was a former general of Russian military intelligence who had been convicted in Russia for spying for the UK.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass
Russia denies involvement
Russia denied any knowledge of the poisoning, which echoed the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006. Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210. "We see that such a tragic situation happened," Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on March 6. "But we don't have information about what could be the cause, what this person did."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/TASS/M. Metzel
Nerve agent suspected
On March 7, British police said they suspected a very rare nerve agent was behind the poisoning of Skripal. "This is being treated as a major incident involving attempted murder by administration of a nerve agent," Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley said in a statement. "I can also confirm that we believe the two people originally who became unwell were targeted specifically."
British police said more than 21 people had sought medical treatment as a result of the nerve agent attack. On March 8, UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd told the House of Commons that enormous resources were being used to determine who was behind the attack. Rudd called the use of a chemical nerve agent on British soil a "brazen and reckless" act that would be answered with all possible force.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/A. Matthews
May gives Russia a deadline
On March 12, British Prime Minister Theresa May told lawmakers it was "highly likely" Russia was behind the poisoning. May said the Russian government had either ordered the attack or lost control of the Russian-produced chemical nerve agent Novichok. She gave Moscow until midnight on Tuesday to explain its Novichok program to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/empics/PA Wire
EU supports UK
On March 13, vice president of the European Commission European Union, Valdis Dombrovskis, said the EU would stand in solidarity with Britain after London accused Russia of being behind the nerve agent attack. When asked if the EU might impose sanctions of Russia if it was agreed Moscow was responsible for the attack, Dombrovskis said: "Of course, the UK can count on EU solidarity in this regard."
Image: picture-alliance/empics/Y. Mok
Russia calls UK bluff
Russia failed to respond to May’s midnight deadline for an explanation of its suspected involvement in the poisoning. On March 14, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in London said Moscow would not respond "until it receives samples of the chemical substance." May had said a "full range" of retaliatory measures would be considered if Moscow did not give a "credible response" by the deadline.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Augstein
UK announces expulsions of diplomats
After Russia failed to give an explanation, May announced on March 14 that the UK would expel 23 Russian diplomats identified as "undeclared intelligence officers." May also said the UK would suspend all high-level bilateral contact with Russia. The biggest expulsions from London in 30 years would "fundamentally degrade Russian intelligence capability for years to come," May said.
Image: picture alliance/TASS/dpa/I. Dmitryachev
France, Germany, UK, US blame Russia
On March 15, the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and US released a joint statement that demanded "complete disclosure" from Russia saying there is "no plausible alternative" to Moscow's involvement. The statement said the attack using "a military-grade nerve agent, of a type developed by Russia" constituted "an assault on UK sovereignty" that threatened "the security of us all."
Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/A. Pezzali
Russia expels British diplomats
In retaliation to the UK, Russia said it would also expel 23 British diplomats, giving them the same one-week deadline. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it would also close the British Council in Russia, and might take further measures against Britain in the event of more "hostile steps" from London. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, had said Moscow would "of course" respond with expulsions.
"It's complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup," Putin said on March 19. "It's quite obvious that if it were a military-grade nerve agent, people would have died on the spot." Putin said Moscow "destroyed all our chemical weapons under international oversight unlike some of our partners."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Klimentyev
UK says Novichok was used
On March 20, UK scientists determined Skripal was poisoned using a little-known nerve agent from a group of chemical compounds known as Novichok. The family of compounds, which were developed in the 1970s and 80s, comprise numerous nerve agents. The Soviets once developed these weapons to circumvent the Chemical Weapons Convention. Novichok-5 and Novichok-7 are supposed to be the most dangerous.
Image: Getty Images/C.J. Ratcliffe
Mass Russian diplomat expulsions
A number of EU countries teamed together on March 26 and simultaneously announced they would be expelling Russian diplomats. Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia and Ukraine all announced they would be expelling Russian envoys. The US followed suit with the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and announced the closure of Moscow's consulate in Seattle.
Image: Reuters/G. Garanich
Poison on front door
UK police found the highest concentration of the nerve agent on the front door of the Skripal's family home in Salisbury. They believe that is where Skripal and his daughter must have first come into contact with the poison. It was likely mixed in with a "gloopy substance" smeared on the door handle.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/F. Augstein
New Novichok victims
In early July, weeks after both Skripals were discharged from the Salisbury hospital, another two people were apparently poisoned with the same substance in the nearby town of Amesbury. A 45-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman were found unconscious and were transported to the same hospital in critical condition.
