By Ben Kerrigan-
A third Russian is facing charges over his alleged involvement in the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, which left three people critically ill and one dead.
It comes after the European Court Of Human Rights ruled that Russia was guilty in plotting the death of Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who became a British citizen, but was fatally poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006.
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Scotland Yard said all three men were working for Russia’s GRU military spy agency,
Security sources believe Denis Sergeev was the on-the-ground commander in the Novichok attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
His flight left Heathrow at 1.45pm on 4 March, about five minutes before Petrov and Boshirov were seen at Salisbury station, going through the ticket barriers on their way back to London. They flew out at 10.30pm that night.
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Petrov and Boshirov, Fedotov have been charged with seven offences including the attempted murder of the Skripals and DS Nick Bailey, who fell ill after going to the Skripal home after the Russian pair were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury. The other charges are conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal, use and possession of novichok contrary to the Chemical Weapons Act and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia Skripal and Bailey.
Yulia and Sergei Skripal prior to atatck attack. Image:
REX/Shutterstock
The investigative journalism collective Bellingcat originally revealed the identities of Petrov and Boshirov, as well as Fedotov and his real name. They reported that Fedotov is a high-ranking GRU officer and a graduate of Russia’s Military Diplomatic Academy.
Alexander Petrov (left) and Ruslan Boshirov, who have previously been charged over the Wiltshire poisonings. Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the UK was using the case as “a tool to put pressure on our country”, adding: “We decisively reject all of London’s attempt to blame Moscow for what happened in Salisbury.” Her tome was defensive
Police confirmed they believe the suspects in the case belonged to a team from the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service.
Two police officers from Wiltshire Police involved in searching the victims’ home were also poisoned with the same agent.
In July 2018, a further 2 members of the public were found unwell in Amesbury, both of whom had been exposed to Novichok. And tragically, one of them died and this is Dawn Sturgess.
Sergeev is believed to be the team’s senior member and has also been linked to other covert activity across Europe. Although, The Crown Prosecution Service has now authorised charges, the suspects cannot be formally charged unless they are arrested.
No charges have been brought in relation to the later poisoning that killed Dawn Sturgess and left Charlie Rowley seriously ill, after they became unwell on 30 June 2018 at an address in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Although the incidents are under joint investigation, police have been unable to account for how the adapted perfume bottle the novichok was held in came to be at the property in Amesbury.
Nick Price, head of the special crime and counter terrorism division at the CPS, said there was “sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction” and that it was in the public interest to charge Sergeev.
Prosecutors were working with police to bring the attackers to justice “where possible” but Russia has made clear it does not extradite its citizens, he said.
Pursuit Of Justice
Home Secretary Priti Patel told the House of Commons that if any of the suspects travelled outside Russia, the UK would “take every possible step to detain and extradite them” and would be “relentless in the pursuit of justice”.
She said the poisoning was “an appalling event that shook the entire country and united our allies in condemnation”, but said it was not the first time Russia had committed “a brazen attack in the UK” – referring to the European Court of Human Rights’ judgement on the killing of Alexander Litvinenko.
On 5 September 2018, the independent Director of Public Prosecutions announced there was sufficient evidence to bring charges against 2 Russian nationals for conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal and the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal and Nick Bailey causing grievous bodily harm with intent to
Patel told the Commons that The CT Policing investigation has established that Fedotov is in fact Denis Sergeev, that he is also a member of the GRU, and that all 3 individuals previously worked together for the GRU as part of additional operations outside Russia.
All 3 men are now wanted by UK police. Arrest warrants are in place for all 3. The police have applied for an Interpol Notice against Fedotov, mirroring those already in place against the other 2 suspects.
Russia has repeatedly refused to allow its nationals to stand trial overseas. This was also the case following the murder of Alexander Litvinenko when a UK extradition request was refused. This has only added to the heartache of those hurt by these attacks and, Mr Speaker, inevitably further damaged our relations with Russia.
As was made clear in 2018, should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain them and extradite them to face justice.
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