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| Sergei Skripal no longer in critical condition and 'improving rapidly' | Sergei Skripal no longer in critical condition and 'improving rapidly' |
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| Sergei Skripal is no longer in a critical condition and is “improving rapidly”, according to doctors at the hospital where the former Russian double agent has been receiving treatment. | |
| The dramatic news of a change in his condition on Friday came after it emerged last week that the health of his daughter, Yulia, had also stabilised and that she was looking forward to leaving hospital. | |
| Detectives investigating the attempted murders of the Skripals, who were the victims of a nerve agent attack in Salisbury on 4 March, believe the pair were poisoned at his home. Specialists investigating the incident have found the highest concentration of the nerve agent novichok on the front door at the address. | |
| Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director at the hospital, said on Friday: “Following intense media coverage yesterday, I would like to take the opportunity to update you on the condition of the two remaining patients being treated at Salisbury district hospital. | |
| “Last Thursday, I informed you that Yulia Skripal’s condition had improved to stable. As Yulia herself says, her strength is growing daily and she can look forward to the day when she is well enough to leave the hospital.” | “Last Thursday, I informed you that Yulia Skripal’s condition had improved to stable. As Yulia herself says, her strength is growing daily and she can look forward to the day when she is well enough to leave the hospital.” |
| She added: “I also want to update you on the condition of her father, Sergei Skripal. He is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition.” | She added: “I also want to update you on the condition of her father, Sergei Skripal. He is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition.” |
| After the news of Sergei Skripal’s improved condition was reported on Twitter, the Russian embassy to the UK tweeted: “Good news!” | |
| The news comes a day after Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned along with her father in the attack that has caused international tensions after the UK blamed the Russian government, released a statement through the Metropolitan police in which she said she was getting stronger by the day. | |
| In a separate telephone conversation apparently recorded by her cousin Viktoria in Moscow, Yulia was asked about her father’s condition and said: “Everything’s OK, he’s resting now, he’s sleeping. Everyone’s health is OK. No one has had any irreversible [harm].” | In a separate telephone conversation apparently recorded by her cousin Viktoria in Moscow, Yulia was asked about her father’s condition and said: “Everything’s OK, he’s resting now, he’s sleeping. Everyone’s health is OK. No one has had any irreversible [harm].” |
| There was no immediate reaction from the British government to the news. It comes as Russia’s foreign minister repeated a challenge to Britain to produce evidence to back up the charge that the Skripals were poisoned by Russia. | |
| Sergei Lavrov said that Britain must “honestly and openly … put all the facts on the table”. | |
| Lavrov, speaking on a trip to Belarus, said British officials had engaged in “frantic and convulsive efforts to find arguments to support their indefensible position” instead of producing evidence. | |
| He said that Britain and its western allies were wrong if they expected Russia to “confess to all deadly sins” it did not commit and “play by their rules”. | |
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