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Russian embassy describes UK diplomatic notes as ‘formality’

"The list of questions to the British side is getting longer and longer," the embassy said

LONDON, April 7. /TASS/. The UK Foreign Office’s notes on the murder of a former Aeroflot top manager and the denial of visa to Viktoria Skripal, sent to the Russian embassy in London, are nothing but formality, the embassy said in a comment received by TASS on Saturday.

"The embassy has just received the Foreign Office’s note regarding the death of Russian citizen Nikolai Glushkov on March 12, 2018. The embassy is grateful for the response, but this note contains no information other than referring all our questions to the London police," the embassy said in a written statement.

According to the Russian diplomatic mission, it had earlier requested the British side to provide detailed information about the investigation of the Russian citizen’s death.

"Neither police, nor the Foreign Office have answered this request. This is regrettable. Nearly a month after his death, the British side still fails to provide us with any information, just like in the Skripal case. After sending numerous requests, we can only assume that this is being done on purpose," the statement reads.

According to the second comment, the Russian diplomatic mission was also notified by the Foreign Office that Viktoria Skripal applied for a visa at the British embassy in Moscow and was informed about the outcome.

"The note appears to be a formality and does not respond to questions asked by the Embassy, which is regrettable. The fact that Viktoria Skripal was deprived of a chance to visit her cousin and uncle is disappointing," the embassy said.

The Russian diplomatic mission added that the denial of visa "is politically motivated and leaves lots of questions about reasons behind this decision."

"The list of questions to the British side is getting longer and longer," the embassy said.

On March 4, former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who had been earlier sentenced in Russia for spying for the UK, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury, UK. Police said they had been exposed to a nerve agent. Later, London claimed that the toxin of Novichok-class had been allegedly developed in Russia. With that, the UK rushed to accuse Russia of being involved, while failing to produce any evidence.

Glushkov, who stood trial over the embezzlement of Aeroflot’s funds in Russia in 2004, was found dead in his London home on March 13. Last week, Scotland Yard said citing postmortem expertise that the businessman had been strangled. The police qualify his death as murder.

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