'Creator' of Novichok Says 'Only an Idiot' Would've Used It in Salisbury

Vil Mirzayanov, a Soviet chemist who moved to the United States in the 1990s and who is touted by the Western media as a member of the Novichok chemical weapons program, told media that the substance which was allegedly used in the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury has one critical flaw.

Commenting on the recent OPCW investigation related to the Skripal affair, Mirzayanov explained that Novichok is apparently very unstable and vulnerable to water. And since the weather in England on March 4, the day Skripals were allegedly poisoned, was humid and foggy, the chemical’s potency was greatly reduced.

"Only an idiot would’ve used this substance in humid conditions," he declared.

Previously, Moscow repeatedly pointed out that there was no chemical weapon program code named Novichok in the Soviet Union, and that Mirzayanov himself wasn’t even involved in chemical weapons development in the first place.

READ MORE: OPCW Confirms Skripals Poisoned With Novichok — Reports

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on March 4 on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury. London promptly accused Moscow of orchestrating a deadly attack with what UK experts claim was the A234 nerve agent. Moscow has denied having any involvement in the poisoning, pointing to the lack of evidence provided by London to substantiate its accusations.

Shortly after the incident, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, with a number of other European countries and the United States following suit, prompting Moscow to respond in kind.