UK sanctions GRU after Putin found ‘morally responsible’ for Novichok death
Russian military intelligence agency the GRU has been sanctioned in its entirety by the UK in the wake of the Sturgess inquiry report, the Foreign Office has said.
The independent inquiry concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “astonishingly reckless” and bears “moral responsibility” for the nerve agent death of Dawn Sturgess, who died after being exposed to the chemical weapon known as Novichok in 2018. It followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia and then-police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year. They were harmed when members of a GRU military intelligence squad smeared the nerve agent on Mr Skripal’s door handle in a “public demonstration of Russian power”. The sanctions announced by the Foreign Office on Thursday also target eight cyber military intelligence officers for working for the GRU, which was responsible for cyber operations targeting Yulia with X-agent malware and, five years later, the attempted murder of her and her father on UK soil. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The Salisbury poisonings shocked the nation and today’s findings are a grave reminder of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent lives. “Dawn’s needless death was a tragedy and will forever be a reminder of Russia’s reckless aggression. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones. “The UK will always stand up to Putin’s brutal regime and call out his murderous machine for what it is. “Today’s sanctions are the latest step in our unwavering defence of European security, as we continue to squeeze Russia’s finances and strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub