On Friday, the BBC reported citing a government source that the UK Embassy in Russia refused to issue a visa to Viktoria Skripal, who was planning to visit her cousin Yulia.
"Such a decision of UK authorities regarding the denial of visa to Viktoria Skripal, as we have said, is politically motivated, and raises a lot of questions about the reasons for the decision. The number of questions to the UK side is increasing," the spokesperson said.
"It seems that the note is of a formal nature and does not answer the questions asked by the embassy, which can not but cause regret. In itself, the fact that Viktoria Skripal was denied visit to her cousin and uncle is disappointing. Based on our contacts with Viktoria Skripal, she very much expected to support her relatives in a difficult moment," he said.
Relations between Moscow and London have deteriorated drastically over the past several weeks in the wake of the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom. UK experts say that the Skripals were exposed to the A234 nerve agent, which allegedly belongs to the "Novichok" group of nerve agents developed in the Soviet Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has accused Russia of orchestrating the attack and expelled 23 Russian diplomats. Russia, in turn, has refuted the allegations and sent a list of questions to London asking for details of the incident.