UK Deepens Investigation Into Possible Poisoning Of Former Russian Spy In England

Britain has stepped up its investigation into the possible poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England, with the U.K. government facing the possibility of yet another Russian dissident being assassinated on British soil.

On Sunday, 66-year-old Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in the Russian military intelligence, was found unconscious on a bench at a mall in Salisbury, along with his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia. As of Tuesday, the two were still in critical condition, being treated “for suspected exposure to an unknown substance.”

Skripal was sentenced to prison by Russia in 2006 for spying for Britain. In 2010 he was given refuge in the U.K. as part of a “spy swap” with the United States.

Britain’s counterterrorism unit took over the investigation Tuesday from local law enforcement because of its “unusual circumstances.” Samples from the scene were being tested at a military research laboratory, The Guardian reported. The police had not declared it a terrorist incident, and law enforcement officials were still investigating whether a crime occurred.


Source : huffingtonpost