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Reports: Skripal Visited Prague, Later Met With Czech Special Services in the UK

Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer, secretly visited Prague in 2012 and at least once met with Czech special services in Britain.
Sputnik

After Skripal was released from prison in Russia in 2010, he settled in the UK, where he collaborated with the MI6 service in disclosing the networks of Russian foreign agents, Prague weekly Respekt reported on Sunday.

"With this aim the British allowed representatives of intelligence agencies from partner countries including Czech Republic to meet with Skripal.  At least once in 2012 Skripal visited Prague, and although he stayed there only for a short time, his stay for the local special services was useful. Representatives of the Czech special services then met with the former Russian spy, according to Respekt's information, at least once, and in the UK,” the weekly wrote.

The Czech special services, however, in no way connect these facts with the poisoning of Skripal in March 2018.

Author: Lack of Proof of Russian Role in Skripal Case 'Embarrassing for UK Govt'
On March 4, Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping mall in Salisbury. The UK authorities have blamed Russia for attempting to assassinate the Skripals with what is believed by London to be the A234 nerve agent. 

Russia has denied having any role in the poisoning, pointing to the lack of evidence provided by the United Kingdom to substantiate its accusations.

Earlier, Czech President Milos Zeman said that a small amount of the A230 toxin, similar to Novichok, had been produced at the Czech Military Research Institute in 2017 and then destroyed. 

The Czech president added that the country's military intelligence and the domestic intelligence service, BIS, differed on which substance could be classified as Novichok.

 

 

 

 

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