- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Kremlin: No Information of Anyone Named Chepiga Ever Awarded by Putin

© AP Photo / Metropolitan PoliceThis still taken from CCTV and issued by the Metropolitan Police in London on Wednesday Sept. 5, 2018, shows Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov at Salisbury train station on March 4, 2018
This still taken from CCTV and issued by the Metropolitan Police in London on Wednesday Sept. 5, 2018, shows Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov at Salisbury train station on March 4, 2018 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that he had verified media reports about a state award handed out to Anatoly Chepiga – alleged by UK investigative bloggers from Bellingcat to be the real name of Ruslan Boshirov, a suspect in the Skripal poisoning case.

"Yes, I have checked. I have no information that a person with this name was awarded," Peskov told reporters.

The day before, Peskov said he would verify reports that Putin had allegedly decorated Col. Anatoliy Chepiga and then would provide that information to reporters.

Police officers guard a cordon around a police tent covering a supermarket car park pay machine near the area where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill following exposure to the Russian-developed nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, England, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - Sputnik International
World
UK Foreign Minister Says London Finding Ways to Put Economic Pressure on Russia

READ MORE: Kremlin: Putin Has Info That Skripal Poisoning Suspect Boshirov is Civilian

The spokesman went on saying that it was hard to understand which of the news stories emerging from the Skripal investigation were true or false. 

"The Kremlin does not want to keep addressing this issue, all the more so, having the media as a partner. All of these arguments — who looks like whom and so on — you know, in Red Square … there are ten Stalins and 15 Lenins running, and all are extremely similar to the original," Peskov told reporters.

READ MORE: UK Foreign Minister Says London Finding Ways to Put Economic Pressure on Russia

Sergei Skripal during his military service days. - Sputnik International
World
Sergei Skripal Worked for Four Different NATO Intel Agencies – Reports
He noted that many news stories had appeared in the UK and other media outlets in recent months, saying, "No one can figure out which of these news stories are false and which are true."

The official stated the Kremlin did not want to engage in stirring up the issue of "investigations" into the identities of Skripal poisoning suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov with the media. He reiterated Moscow's stance, saying that Russian intelligence services need original materials on the Skripal case to assist London and participate in the investigation.

READ MORE: Chepiga's Ex-Commander Calls Claims About Skripal Suspect Identity Schizophrenia

The comments referred to Wednesday's story published by UK-based investigative blogger group Bellingcat, in cooperation with the Insider Russia website, alleging that Boshirov, a suspect in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, was "in fact" a military intelligence colonel called Anatoly Chepiga. The outlet also claimed that the division in which Chepiga served played an important role in the Second Chechen War and was bestowed with a high state award by Putin personally.

READ MORE: Bellingcat Claim Identified Skripal Case Suspect Boshirov as GRU Colonel

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала