Britain presented an ultimatum to Russia because of Skripl's poisoning

British Prime Minister Theresa May 12 March said in parliament that the Russian intelligence officer defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by a nerve agent developed in Russia.

Фото: Depositphotos

According to the Prime Minister, the nerve agent of the new generation of the group called “Novice” was used, with the BBC.

“Whereas this substance was identified by world-leading defense, science and technology experts at the Porton Down laboratory; and the fact that Russia previously produced this substance and could produce it again; and given previous Russian state-sponsored killings and our assessment that Russia views some defectors as legitimate targets for assassination, the government has concluded that Russia is likely responsible for actions targeting Sergei Skripal and his daughter." May stated.

The British prime minister added that such actions by the Russian government on the territory of another state are unacceptable and demanded an explanation from Moscow in the ultimatum, allowing two scenarios, both of which put the Kremlin in a bad light.

“Either this was a direct action by the Russian government against our country, or the Russian government lost control of the distribution of a potentially catastrophic nerve toxin and it fell into the wrong hands,” May suggested.

The head of the British government said it gives Russia time until the end of Tuesday, March 13, to provide explanations about what happened. If Russia does not follow a credible response, Skrypal’s poisoning will be considered illegal by the Russian state to use force in Great Britain.

According to May, the UK is ready to take significantly broader responses, which will be announced in the 14 parliament in March, if Russia does not provide adequate explanations for the incident.

In addition, the British Foreign Office requested an explanation from the Russian ambassador.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the ambassador that Moscow should provide the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons with full information about the Novichok program.

Russian chemist Wil Mirzayanov, who is considered to be one of the “Novice” developers, lives in the US in an interview The Telegraph He declared that only Russia could be involved in the violinist's poisoning.

The scientist stressed that Russia does not declassify the formula of this nerve agent, so no other country simply has the ability to use this substance.

He explained that the substances in the “Novice” composition are harmless themselves and become poison only after mixing in a certain amount and under certain conditions, so they could easily be brought to Britain and a poison spray could be made on site.

“Only 10 grams is already a lot. In the summer, just two grams would be enough to kill 500 people,” Mirzayanov noted.

He added that if the former intelligence officer and his daughter were really poisoned by Novichok, then they have no chance of recovery.

“This substance is at least 10 times more powerful than any other known nerve agent. And it is practically untreatable. Even if they survive, they will not recover,” he said.

Vil Mirzayanov worked for 26 years at the State Research Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology of Russia, the main center for the production of chemical weapons. There he headed the counterintelligence department.

Novichoks are highly toxic nerve agents developed in the USSR in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the substances in this group, A-232, is more toxic than the well-known VX toxin, which can kill a person in a few minutes. This drug was produced in several versions, one of which was approved by the Russian army for use as a chemical weapon.

Recall, the former GRU officer Sergey Skripal and his daughter Julia were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury March 4. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition, they are still in a coma, doctors estimate their condition as consistently severe. The police found that they were poisoned nerve agent. About 20 people were poisoned, including the policeman who first visited the scene and the house of Skripal. On the fact of poisoning a case of attempted murder.

In Russia, Skripal was convicted in 2006 for spying for British intelligence. In 2010, he was exchanged for Russian intelligence agents uncovered in the United States.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Disclosed agents and 100 of thousands of dollars in fees: for what they were trying to Squeal

Poisoning Russian intelligence officer in Britain and Russian spies in the United States

A word from the President: an interview with Vladimir Putin on the American television channel NBC

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.