Putin personally gave the order for the Novichok attack in Salisbury, says Skripal

Photo: The packaging of the fake perfume bottle that was found in Charlie Rowley's home after he and Dawn Sturgess were poisoned with Novichok, in a police picture in London, Britain, September 5, 2018/REUTERS

Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who was also injured in the Novichok attack, will not give evidence in person for security reasons, but Skripal's written statement was read out on the first day of the hearing by defence lawyer Andrew O'Connor.

Skripal, like the British government before him, has placed personal responsibility on Vladimir Putin for the attack on his life in Salisbury.

“I am confident that Putin makes all important decisions personally and independently. So I believe that at the very least he gave permission for this attack to be carried out against me and Yulia,”– Sergei Skripal said in a statement, Reuters reports.

The goal of the public inquiry by British authorities is to give the family of Dawn Sturgess, a British woman who died from "Novichok" as a result of the attack on Skripal, answers about how her death occurred and to hear confidential testimony from officials and security services, including details of Skripal's relationship with British intelligence services.

Sturgess was a random victim of an assassination attempt, a public inquiry heard on Monday. The mother-of-three died from exposure to Novichok in July 2018 after her partner found a fake perfume bottle that police believe was used by Russian intelligence to smuggle the substance into the country.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Evidence suggests the bottle contained enough of the substance to kill thousands of people, defence lawyer Andrew O'Connor told the first day of a hearing into Sturgess's death.

"You can conclude… that those who disposed of the vial in this way acted with an incredible disregard for human life," he told the inquiry chairman, former High Court judge Anthony Hughes, stressing that Sturgess, 44, was an innocent victim.

Skripal, who sold Russian secrets to Britain, and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on a street bench in Salisbury in March 2018 after being poisoned with Novichok, which was smeared on the handle of the front door of their home.

Both men, as well as a police officer who attended Skripal's home, were seriously ill from exposure to a military-grade nerve agent but recovered, as did Sturgess's partner Charlie Rowley.

While British police have charged three Russians they say are GRU military intelligence officers in absentia over the attack on Skripal and his daughter, no formal case has been brought against them over the death of Sturgess, 44.

Last month, Hughes ruled that the Skripals would not give evidence, saying there was an “overwhelming risk” that they would be in physical danger if they were identified and their current location revealed.

The incident led to the largest diplomatic expulsion between East and West since the Cold War, and relations between London and Moscow have deteriorated further since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga