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| GRU colonel Chepiga revealed as Skripal suspect's 'real identity' | GRU colonel Chepiga revealed as Skripal suspect's 'real identity' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| An investigative journalism website has published what it says is the real identity of one of the Russian intelligence officers suspected of the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning. | An investigative journalism website has published what it says is the real identity of one of the Russian intelligence officers suspected of the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning. |
| The Bellingcat group claims the man who was named as Ruslan Boshirov is actually Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga. | The Bellingcat group claims the man who was named as Ruslan Boshirov is actually Colonel Anatoliy Chepiga. |
| British officials have not commented. The BBC understands there is no dispute over the identification. | British officials have not commented. The BBC understands there is no dispute over the identification. |
| UK investigators have said Mr Boshirov was a Russian intelligence officer. | UK investigators have said Mr Boshirov was a Russian intelligence officer. |
| It was thought he travelled to the UK on a false passport, under a pseudonym, with another Russian national who used the name Alexander Petrov. | It was thought he travelled to the UK on a false passport, under a pseudonym, with another Russian national who used the name Alexander Petrov. |
| Ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok in March. The pair survived but Dawn Sturgess - a woman not connected to the original attack - died in July after being exposed to the same substance. | Ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned by Novichok in March. The pair survived but Dawn Sturgess - a woman not connected to the original attack - died in July after being exposed to the same substance. |
| The latest development comes as a member of activist punk group Pussy Riot, Pyotr Verzilov, who is believed to have been poisoned, said he "firmly believes" Russia's intelligence services were responsible. | |
| BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said although it wasn't known if the two incidents were connected, the cases showed Russia seemed willing to take "increasingly aggressive" and "risky" action. | |
| "They appear less worried about getting caught out - more brazen," he added. | |
| The UK government has accused Mr Petrov and Mr Boshirov of the attack in Salisbury. It said they were undercover officers for the Russian military intelligence, the GRU. | |
| Russia has always denied the allegations and President Vladimir Putin said the suspects were civilians. | Russia has always denied the allegations and President Vladimir Putin said the suspects were civilians. |
| The pair then appeared on Russian-state television claiming to have been tourists, visiting the city to see its cathedral. | |
| Bellingcat says that Col Chepiga was a soldier who served in Chechnya and was awarded the highest state award - Hero of the Russian Federation, usually bestowed personally by President Vladimir Putin. | Bellingcat says that Col Chepiga was a soldier who served in Chechnya and was awarded the highest state award - Hero of the Russian Federation, usually bestowed personally by President Vladimir Putin. |
| Bellingcat obtained extracts from the passport file of Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga. A picture of Mr Chepiga from 2003 appears to look like a younger version of the man who used the identity Ruslan Bushirov. | Bellingcat obtained extracts from the passport file of Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga. A picture of Mr Chepiga from 2003 appears to look like a younger version of the man who used the identity Ruslan Bushirov. |