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| Salisbury attack: what has the UK said and what evidence does it have? | Salisbury attack: what has the UK said and what evidence does it have? |
| (2 days later) | |
| The revelation that scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down have not established that the nerve agent used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal was made in Russia has caused a storm. | The revelation that scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down have not established that the nerve agent used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal was made in Russia has caused a storm. |
| UK officials hurried to explain that the scientific findings were just one part of the intelligence jigsaw that pointed the finger for the Salisbury attack at Moscow. Here we examine what other evidence British government may be relying on. | UK officials hurried to explain that the scientific findings were just one part of the intelligence jigsaw that pointed the finger for the Salisbury attack at Moscow. Here we examine what other evidence British government may be relying on. |
| What exactly has Theresa May said about the Russian link? | What exactly has Theresa May said about the Russian link? |
| Unlike her foreign secretary, the prime minister was precise when she explained eight days after the attack why the government believed it “highly likely” that Russia was responsible. | Unlike her foreign secretary, the prime minister was precise when she explained eight days after the attack why the government believed it “highly likely” that Russia was responsible. |
| May said the Skripals had been poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent “of a type developed by Russia”, and added: “This is part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok.” | May said the Skripals had been poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent “of a type developed by Russia”, and added: “This is part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok.” |
| May said Russia had previously produced novichoks and would still be able to do so. She flagged up Moscow’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations and said Russia viewed some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations. | May said Russia had previously produced novichoks and would still be able to do so. She flagged up Moscow’s record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations and said Russia viewed some defectors as legitimate targets for assassinations. |
| However, the government has not expanded on this explanation, leaving itself open to criticism from Moscow. | However, the government has not expanded on this explanation, leaving itself open to criticism from Moscow. |
| Does Russia have stocks of novichok, does anyone else, and would anyone else be capable of using it? | Does Russia have stocks of novichok, does anyone else, and would anyone else be capable of using it? |
| According to Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a British chemical weapons expert, novichoks – the word means newcomer in Russian – were developed and produced in Shikhany, home of a military research establishment in central Russia. De Bretton-Gordon has challenged Moscow to allow inspectors into Skikhany to find out if they still have stocks. | According to Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a British chemical weapons expert, novichoks – the word means newcomer in Russian – were developed and produced in Shikhany, home of a military research establishment in central Russia. De Bretton-Gordon has challenged Moscow to allow inspectors into Skikhany to find out if they still have stocks. |
| Vil Mirzayanov, a Russian former chemist who worked on the novichok programme before defecting to the US, has said a criminal organisation or other non-state group could not pull off the sort of attack that took place in Salisbury. | Vil Mirzayanov, a Russian former chemist who worked on the novichok programme before defecting to the US, has said a criminal organisation or other non-state group could not pull off the sort of attack that took place in Salisbury. |
| Russia has pointed the blame elsewhere. Vladamir Putin said on Tuesday: “There are around 20 countries capable of producing such neuro-paralytic substances.” | Russia has pointed the blame elsewhere. Vladamir Putin said on Tuesday: “There are around 20 countries capable of producing such neuro-paralytic substances.” |
| Has Russia carried out state-sponsored assassinations in the UK ? | Has Russia carried out state-sponsored assassinations in the UK ? |
| Britain believes that in 2006 two FSB-hired assassins, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, poisoned Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive cup of tea. Litvinenko, an FSB officer turned Putin critic, died in agony 23 days later. A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that Putin had “probably approved” the killing. | Britain believes that in 2006 two FSB-hired assassins, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, poisoned Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive cup of tea. Litvinenko, an FSB officer turned Putin critic, died in agony 23 days later. A public inquiry concluded in 2016 that Putin had “probably approved” the killing. |
| Why would Sergei Skripal be a target? | Why would Sergei Skripal be a target? |
| Skripal was convicted by a Russian court in 2006 of spying for Britain, and he was sentenced to 13 years in jail. In 2010 he was one of four Russians swapped for 10 deep-cover “sleeper” agents planted by Moscow in the US. There has been speculation that the attack could have been a warning to other would-be defectors – or that Moscow may have believed he was still helping the British secret services. | Skripal was convicted by a Russian court in 2006 of spying for Britain, and he was sentenced to 13 years in jail. In 2010 he was one of four Russians swapped for 10 deep-cover “sleeper” agents planted by Moscow in the US. There has been speculation that the attack could have been a warning to other would-be defectors – or that Moscow may have believed he was still helping the British secret services. |
| Are there any clues in what we know of the attack? | Are there any clues in what we know of the attack? |
| Police confirmed relatively early on that Yulia Skripal arrived at Heathrow from Russia at 2.40pm on Saturday 3 March, 24 hours before she and her father collapsed. This led to speculation that the nerve agent was planted in her luggage. But there were also claims in the early days that Skripal’s BMW was key. Was the nerve agent smeared on the car door handle or stashed in the car ventilation system? Or were flowers that Skripal put on his wife’s grave laced with poison, as was also suggested? | Police confirmed relatively early on that Yulia Skripal arrived at Heathrow from Russia at 2.40pm on Saturday 3 March, 24 hours before she and her father collapsed. This led to speculation that the nerve agent was planted in her luggage. But there were also claims in the early days that Skripal’s BMW was key. Was the nerve agent smeared on the car door handle or stashed in the car ventilation system? Or were flowers that Skripal put on his wife’s grave laced with poison, as was also suggested? |
| Last week counter-terrorism police spelled out that they believed in fact the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at the front door of their home address. Such an audacious attack could have been carried out only by trained professionals familiar with chemical weapons. | Last week counter-terrorism police spelled out that they believed in fact the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at the front door of their home address. Such an audacious attack could have been carried out only by trained professionals familiar with chemical weapons. |
| Has a Russian hit team been on the ground in Salisbury? | Has a Russian hit team been on the ground in Salisbury? |
| The city’s Tory MP, John Glen, has expressed outrage that a “silent assassin” appears to have been behind the attack. Glen has also put forward a scenario that an agent could have been on the same plane as Yulia and could have left Britain hours later. But he has clarified that this is only one possible scenario and not one that the security services have briefed him on. | The city’s Tory MP, John Glen, has expressed outrage that a “silent assassin” appears to have been behind the attack. Glen has also put forward a scenario that an agent could have been on the same plane as Yulia and could have left Britain hours later. But he has clarified that this is only one possible scenario and not one that the security services have briefed him on. |
| If the Russians were responsible, there could be little doubt that spies would have been in Salisbury to carry out reconnaissance. The presence of a hit team is one of the theories that police will try to pin down as they trawl through more than 5,000 hours of CCTV footage. | If the Russians were responsible, there could be little doubt that spies would have been in Salisbury to carry out reconnaissance. The presence of a hit team is one of the theories that police will try to pin down as they trawl through more than 5,000 hours of CCTV footage. |
| Did the UK prematurely leap to the conclusion that Russia was involved? | Did the UK prematurely leap to the conclusion that Russia was involved? |
| Wiltshire police called the counter-terrorism command within hours of the attack. Security measures such as ordering council officials and local politicians not to use mobile devices were quickly introduced. But the government urged caution until the substance was identified by Porton Down. It was not quick to name Russia. | Wiltshire police called the counter-terrorism command within hours of the attack. Security measures such as ordering council officials and local politicians not to use mobile devices were quickly introduced. But the government urged caution until the substance was identified by Porton Down. It was not quick to name Russia. |
| Sergei Skripal | Sergei Skripal |
| Foreign policy | Foreign policy |
| Russia | Russia |
| Europe | Europe |
| Novichok poisonings | Novichok poisonings |
| analysis | analysis |
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