Skripal case: third Russian intelligence agent indicted in UK
Sergei Fedotov, the third suspect identified by the British police in the case of the poisoning of the former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018 in Salisbury.
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The 2018 investigation into the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in southwest England had soured relations between London and Moscow.
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Sergei Fedotov, also known as Denis Sergeyev, was notably charged with conspiracy to assassinate Sergei Skripal and attempted murder on the ex-double agent, his daughter Yulia and the policeman Nick Bailey who had been infected while intervening on the scene, the British police announced on Tuesday, September 21.
Sergey Fedotov was also charged with possession and use of a chemical weapon and causing serious willful injury.
For Assistant Deputy Commissioner Dean Haydon, who led the Counterterrorism Police investigation into the Salisbury and Amesbury attacks, this is a "significant
new development
" in the investigation launched after the poisoning of the Russian ex-spy and her daughter on March 4, 2018.
Former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury and hospitalized in serious condition.
They survived and now live in hiding under protection.
But their poisoning made a collateral victim: Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after spraying herself with what she thought was a perfume and which was in fact Novichok, contained in a bottle picked up by her companion.
►
To read also: Skripal case: the poison was in the suitcase of the daughter of the ex-spy
No extradition requested
London accuses Moscow of being behind this poisoning and has previously issued a European arrest warrant against two Russians, Alexander Petrov and Rouslan Bochirov - possible pseudonyms -, suspected of having carried out the attack and presented as members of military intelligence (GRU).
Sergey Fedotov is the third man identified by British police who said they were looking for them.
Arrest warrants are in place for all three.
Nick Price, head of the Special Crimes and Counterterrorism Division at Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the UK prosecution service, said there would be no request for Sergei Fedotov's extradition to Russia.
“
Because the Russian Constitution does not allow the extradition of its own nationals,
” he said.
If this position changes, an extradition request will be made.
"
No trace of Novichok
Police say Sergei Fedotov arrived in the UK at around 11 a.m. on March 2, 2018 on a Moscow-London flight, about four hours before the arrival of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Bochirov from the Russian capital.
Investigators believe the three met on several occasions in central London over the weekend, before Sergei Fedotov left the UK on March 4, 2018 on a flight to Moscow from the London Heathrow Airport.
The hotel where he stayed has been identified and tests have been carried out in the room where he stayed.
But no trace of Novichok and no risk to the public have been identified, police said.
►
To read also: Skripal case: the second suspect identified as a GRU doctor
Pseudonym
Investigators have also determined that Alexander Petrov, Ruslan Bochirov and Sergei Fedotov have previously worked together for the GRU in operations outside of Russia.
They believe that Fedotov was using a pseudonym during his visit to the UK and has been identified as "
Denis Sergeyev
".
Denis Sergeyev had already been identified by the investigation website Bellingcat, in June 2019, as a major-general of the military intelligence service (GRU) who led the operation targeting Sergei Skripal.
Moscow has always denied
This poisoning had caused reciprocal expulsions of diplomats unprecedented since the end of the Cold War between Russia and the West.
Despite London's conclusions to this effect, Moscow has always denied any involvement in the Skripal affair.
But two and a half years later, relations are still at their lowest between the two countries and the British government sees Russia as a major threat to the United Kingdom.
In March, the Russian ambassador in London declared that political relations between London and Moscow were "
practically dead
".
►
To read also: Skripal affair: one year after the poisoning, still so many gray areas
(With agencies)
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