Russian MFA Releases 14 Questions Addressed to UK on 'Fabricated Skripal Case'

On March 31, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London sent a note to the British Foreign Service with a list of questions regarding the 'fabricated Skripal case'.

Russia is asking the UK to explain why Moscow was denied consular access to the Skripal case, why France was involved in the investigation, what made the Britons believe that the nerve agent was of Russian origin and does the UK have samples of the so-called “Novichok.”

Yet another question focuses on the information about the antidotes used to treat the Skripals and the fact that the UK medics had possession of these substances on site.

The list of questions:

1) Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory?

2) What specific antidotes were administered to Mr and Ms Skripal, and in which form? How were those antidotes available for the medical staff on the site of the incident?

3) On what grounds has France been involved in technical cooperation with regard to the investigation of an incident in which Russian nationals had suffered?

4) Has the United Kingdom informed the OPCW of France's involvement in the investigation?

5) How is France relevant to the incident with two Russian nationals in the UK?

6) What British procedural rules allow a foreign state to be involved in a domestic investigation?

7) What evidence has been passed to France for studying and/or for a French investigation?

8) Were French experts present when biological material was taken from Mr and Ms Skripal?

9) Have French experts studied biologial material taken from Mr and Ms Skripal, and at which laboratories?

10) Does the UK possess the results of the French investigation?

11) Have the results of the French investigation been passed to the OPCW Technical Secretariat?

12) On the basis of which characteristics ("markers") has it been ascertained that the substance used in Salisbury "originated from Russia"?

13) Does the UK possess reference samples of the military-grade poisonous substance that British representatives identify as "Novichok"?

14) Has the substance identified by British representatives as "Novichok" or analogous substances been researched, developed or produced in the UK?

The Russian embassy in the United Kingdom said that new questions to London in the light of the so-called Skripal case could emerge in future.

"Of course, with new information coming in, new questions appear," the statement released on the website of the embassy said.

Questions Addressed to Paris

Russian Foreign Ministry has also released 10 questions addressed to Paris over the “fabricated Skripal case,” asking whether France invited the OPCW to join Salisbury incident investigation and whether France had developed samples of the so-called “Novichok” nerve agent. The embassy also demanded to French side to provide the evidence which Paris gave the United Kingdom within the investigation.

READ MORE: Expulsion of Russian Envoys From UN Mission Conflicts Int'l Agreements — Moscow

Former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who also worked for UK intelligence, and his daughter Yulia have been in a hospital since March 4 due to exposure to what UK experts say is the A234 nerve agent allegedly belonging to the so-called "Novichok" group of nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has blamed Russia for orchestrating the attack and expelled 23 Russian diplomats, while the European Union and several other states have expressed solidarity.