Mystery Around Missing Skripal Daughter Deepens - Scotland Yard Claims Yulia Doesn’t Miss Sister
Yulia Skripal doesn't want to see her sister and the Russian consul. This strange statement was made public by Scotland Yard. Yulia herself is not shown to anyone, which is alarming. In the meantime, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons unveiled the results of its Salisbury investigation. However, the experts' conclusions are rather confusing than clarifying the issue. Only the British Foreign Secretary believes everything is as clear as daylight.
Darya Grigorova is reporting from Salisbury.
The OPCW report doesn't specify the origin of the "toxic chemical", as experts put it. Nor is the so-called Novichok mentioned, at least, in the unclassified report. Boris Johnson made up for this lapse of international experts. Only Russia can be the country of origin of the nerve agent called Novichok, said the UK Foreign Secretary.
Boris Johnson: "There can be no doubt what was used and there remains no alternative explanation about who was responsible – only Russia has the means, motive, and record".
However, the politician didn't provide any evidence. The Secretary's behavior is already raising questions in the UK itself. Johnson had already mentioned irrefutable evidence of the Russian origin of the chemical, but British Porton Down experts failed to confirm the Secretary's words.
Georgy Kalamanov, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade: "There can be no markers that could univocally identify the country of origin of the chemical used against the Skripals. Therefore, we believe that an investigation must be conducted in compliance with the OPCW Executive committee decisions and the report of the Third Overview Session of the Conference of the States Parties".
Labor MPs already urged Theresa May to launch an investigation against Johnson. The OPCW unclassified report is mostly devoted to the procedural description of how medical records were studied, blood tests were made and environmental samples were taken.
Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: "Russia won't take at face value any conclusions on the Skripal case until Russian experts are granted the access to the said OPCW experts' report and all the information that London has on the incident".
The main thing expected from the report was a detailed analysis of the toxic agent, whether it was a nerve-paralyzing gas, as the British side claims, or a toxic one. In the first case, the victims simply did not have a chance to survive, they were to die then and there. It is not known whether this information is contained in the classified report.
Sergei Skripal is still in the hospital in a serious condition. This was reported by Scotland Yard on behalf of Yulia Skripal. The statement, allegedly made by her, seems to deliberately support the UK official position, limiting Yulia's contacts with consuls, journalists, and even relatives.
This could not but raise new questions, given that no one has ever seen the Skripals in the hospital throughout the month. Patients in the hospital believe nothing has changed. There are no police, special agents or enhanced security.
- Have you seen the police?
Jenny Marshall, patient: "I had no idea that something unusual is going on here. Things are on the right track. I don't know if he is here, it's absolutely normal in there".
The representative of VGTRK managed to get through to Victoria Skripal today. She is sure that her cousin's statement on the Scotland Yard website was made under the pressure of the authorities.
- Do you think those are really her words?
Victoria Skripal: No.
- What makes you think so?
- She had everything here in Moscow. Why would she refuse everything? An apartment, a car, a job, she's had remodeling of in her apartment.
- What about the phrasing? Do you think those are someone else's words?
- You mean that she doesn't want to see me? It's not she who doesn't want to see me, it's Britain. How else can they hide her from us?
- Do you think she's forced to stay there against her will?
-Yes.
The text issued on behalf of Yulia Skripal says that she won't talk to journalists, that she thanks Viktoria Skripal for her concern but asks not to try to contact her for the time being.
Alexander Yakovenko, Russian Ambassador to the UK: "Judging from the statement, Yulia Skripal says nobody is speaking on her behalf. At the same time, Scotland Yard issues a statement on her behalf. Moreover, nobody has seen Skripal, nobody has seen photos of her, she hasn't talked to the press or her friends, that's the first point. We only know about one call. Besides, this Scotland Yard statement claims she keeps in touch with her family and friends. There is no evidence proving that she's in touch with her family and friends. We only know about a call she made to her cousin. That's the second point. The third point is that we see Yulia Skripal actually isolated".
Our side possesses no reliable information about the fact that it's Yulia Skripal's decision not to meet with the Russian consul. These are only the words of those on whose hands she is now. Although, she is an adult and by law can and must take such decisions on her own. Only the British tabloids are giving answers now. The Sun newspaper reports that the British agent's daughter was transported to a military base allegedly for security reasons and, of course, of her own will.
Darya Grigorova and Viktor Kazakov for Vesti from Salisbury, the UK.