On Tuesday, Yulia Skripal — attacked along with her father, former Sergey Skripal, by a Novichuk-class nerve agent on March 4 in Salisbury in southern England — was released from hospital and taken to a “secure location” by UK authorities. Her father remains in critical condition.
I spoke with BBC Radio Wiltshire on Tuesday evening about the ongoing investigation, Russia’s disinformation to confuse any attempt to attribute responsibility, and — most importantly in the context of yesterday’s events — provisions to protect the Skripals after the assassination attempt.
According to the UK Government, Russian officials are “highly likely” to be “culpable” in the attack, so returning Yulia Skripal to Russia is not the most secure option while the investigation is continuing.
And she is a prime witness in this investigation. Because she has survived, she can provide authorities with information about what she was doing on the day of the attack, where she and her father were, and any person whom they may have encountered during those hours.
Any comment on why Yulia’s sister was denied a visa to visit her ailing sister?