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Skripal poisoning case

Kremlin suggests waiting for alleged Skripal poisoning suspects to make public appearance

The Kremlin spokesman notes that "London did not submit any inquiries" to Russia about the two suspected Skripal attackers

© AP Photo/Frank Augstein

VLADIVOSTOK, September 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not communicated with the two men whom the UK suspects of being involved in the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He declined to respond to a question as to which Russian agencies were involved in the search for the men.

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Kremlin has no information about alleged suspects in Skripal case, spokesman says

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin said that Russian authorities were aware of who the two alleged suspects in the Skripal case were. "We have found them just to figure out who they are. There is nothing special and criminal about them, believe me," Putin said, adding that the two were civilians.

"The president has not communicated with them," Peskov said. At the same time, he pointed out that the Russian president "expressed hope that they will make a public appearance in the near future." "Let’s wait for it to happen," the Kremlin spokesman added.

He also noted that "London made no requests concerning these people so no actions have been taken."

Skripal saga

According to London, former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia, 33, suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4. Claiming that the substance used in the attack had been a Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, London rushed to accuse Russia of being involved in the incident. Moscow rejected all of the United Kingdom’s accusations, saying that neither the Soviet Union nor Russia ever had any program aimed at developing such a substance.

Chief Executive of the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down Gary Aitkenhead said later that British experts had been unable to identify the origin of the nerve agent used in the attack on the Skripals.

On September 5, British Prime Minister Theresa May informed the country’s parliament about the conclusions that investigators looking into the Salisbury incident had come to, saying that two Russians, believed to be GRU agents, were suspected of conspiracy to murder the Skripals. According to May, the assassination attempt was approved at "a senior level of the Russian state." The Metropolitan Police published the suspects’ photos, saying their names were Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that those names meant nothing to Russia.

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Foreign policy Skripal poisoning case

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