Nerve Agent Attacks, Moscow's Involvement and UK Response: Key Questions of the Investigation
The poisoning incident involving Novichok in Salisbury in the English countryside during the spring of 2018 was an extraordinary event that created international shockwaves. The targeted man, former Russian agent the ex-spy Sergei Skripal, recovered from an brazen effort to kill him, but an bystander, Dawn Sturgess, lost her life. An official inquiry was held last year, probing the poisoning of the Skripals, the response of emergency services, and the fatal sequence of events that led to Sturgess's death. Below are some of the key questions it explored.
Who Was Dawn Sturgess?
The victim, Dawn Sturgess was a 44-year-old mother of three. On June 30, 2018, she and her partner, Charlie Rowley, fell ill at his home in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Sturgess died on 8 July, while Rowley pulled through but has experienced ongoing health problems. Initially, police thought it might be a drugs overdose. Soon after, it became apparent they were victims with the chemical weapon Novichok. Sturgess sprayed herself with the novichok believing it was perfume. Rowley is thought to have found a vessel containing the agent made to look like perfume and presented it to Sturgess. The inquiry heard that Sturgess was an unintended casualty of an unlawful foreign plot to kill.
Why Was a Vessel of Novichok Doing in the English Countryside?
On 4 March 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned by novichok at his home in Salisbury, not far from Amesbury. Skripal had been living quietly in a suburb after a prisoner swap. Both became gravely sick but ultimately survived.
Why Were the Skripals Targeted?
The UK government are convinced that Vladimir Putin approved the attack on Sergei Skripal. A suggested motive offered is that Skripal harboured secret information about the Russian presidentâs alleged financial crimes involving profits from metals production. There have also been suggestions that Skripal kept assisting intelligence services in the West after his supposed retirement from espionage. In the aftermath, the UK government ordered out 23 Russian diplomats.
What Form Did the Attack on Skripal Take?
UK police believe a pair of operatives, using the names Petrov and Boshirov, smeared the nerve agent to the front-door handle of the Skripalsâ house between noon and 12.15pm on March 4. When the Skripals left shortly afterwards to go out, they both came into contact with it.
What Did the Agents Do With the Novichok Bottle Afterwards?
This remains a key unanswered question of the case. A theory is they may have used a portable heat sealer to reseal the container during a unaccounted-for period when they disappeared from surveillance cameras and left it in a bin. Rowley stated he thought he found the bottle in June, a few days before giving it to Sturgess. However, investigators lean toward the idea he found it soon after the Skripal poisoning. Detectives found video evidence appearing to show Rowley searching bins in Salisbury on the day the Skripals fell ill. If that is correct, Rowley had the bottle for over three months and even relocated while possessing it. Yet, police have not been able to rule out the possibility of a another vessel, which remains missing.
How Dangerous Was the Novichok?
The inquiry was told it was of very high purity and had the potential for mass casualties. A government scientist stated that a âminusculeâ amount â comparable to a speck of salt â could have been fatal. After the poisonings, 87 people self-presented at A&E worried about contamination. Several officers were contaminated, including DS Nick Bailey. Emergency services disposed of two dozen vehicles they feared had come into contact with the poison.
Was Enough Done to Protect Sergei Skripal?
The victim's relatives believes so. They assert that he was a âclear and obviousâ target for the Russian state but was given insufficient security in Salisbury. Skripal is said to have refused security measures, even basic CCTV.
Should More Have Been Done to Protect the Public After the Attack?
Similarly, Sturgessâs family believes so. No public warnings about picking up containers that may have contained the poison were issued after the initial attack. The former top medical advisor, Dame Sally Davies, claimed she had a âstrong recollectionâ of warning people not to touch items near the scene in March. However, there is no documentation of such a warning. A public warning was only given following the June incident.
Regarding the Performance of First Responders?
The assessment is mixed. There were many instances of great bravery by emergency personnel. However, Wiltshire police has expressed regret for wrongly categorising Sturgess as a user of illegal drugs. Rowley had a history, but Sturgess was not.
Was Skripal Lucky to Survive?
Without a doubt. A first responder told the inquiry that he accidentally gave Skripal a specific antidote, a drug used for organophosphate poisoning, after a fortunate accident. This intervention potentially rescued Skripalâs life.
The Russian Stance
The Russian embassy in the UK has claimed there are many âunanswered questionsâ around the poisoning. It highlights claims that Skripalâs car was seen out on the morning of 4 March and that their phones were deactivated for a period of time. It also doubts the absence of cameras around the Skripal house. British investigators have stated there have been a multitude of false leads in the case.
