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UK Refused to Provide Russia Samples of Nerve Agent Used to Poison Skripal

The Russian Embassy in the United Kingdom stated that the UK Foreign Office had refused to share with Russia samples of the substance allegedly used in the Skripal poisoning, as well as failed to respond to Moscow's inquiries on his treatment.
Sputnik

"There are discrepancies in UK statements that were made at different times. We have asked the UK Foreign Office for explanations as well as for the samples of the poisonous substance [the request was turned down]. Until now, there is no response to our inquiries as to which treatment methods have been used by physicians. In other words, we can not directly make sure that our citizens are properly treated or whether the UK authorities have correctly established the poisonous substance. Among other things, it remains unclear why the policeman Nick Bailey has recovered, Yulia Skripal is recovering, while Sergei Skripal is still unconscious," the embassy said in a statement, obtained by Sputnik.

The statement follows an announcement made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier in the day, who had stated that Russia hadn't received the conclusions of the UK government laboratory in Porton Down on the Skripal case.

READ MORE: West Uses Skripal Row to Boot Russia From Syrian Chemical Weapons Issue — Moscow

The mentioned conclusions refer to an April 3 report by DSTL chief executive Gary Aitkenhead, who said they had identified the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals, but have not verified its precise source.

READ MORE: OPCW to Receive Results of Sample Analysis in Skripal Case by Next Week

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian GRU colonel who then worked for UK intelligence, and his daughter Yulia, were found senseless on a bench in a shopping center in Salisbury. As the UK government has alleged, the Skripals were exposed to the A234 nerve agent, supposedly related to the Novichok-class nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union.

Following the incident, British Prime Minister Theresa May claimed that it was "highly likely that Russia was responsible for the attack on the Skripals, and expelled 23 Russian diplomats.

Expressing their solidarity with the UK position on the issue, more than two dozen countries expelled more than 150 Russian diplomats over the Skripal case.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May greets people after visiting the scene where former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after they were poisoned with a nerve agent, in Salisbury, Britain March 15, 2018

Russia has denied any involvement in the incident and repeatedly offered assistance to conduct a joint investigation as per international law and requests samples of the chemical substance presumably used to poison the Skripals, but has been rejected.

Apart from that, Russian officials have continuously pointed out that the United Kingdom has not offered evidence to support the allegations it made with respect to the poisoning incident.

Countries that have expelled Russian diplomats

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