Experts of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons are now trying to determine the smell in the house, car, and restaurant where Skripal and his daughter were poisoned. Verification of the study's results is expected to take at least two weeks. Meanwhile, Brussels and Stockholm have voiced unsubstantiated accusations against Moscow, which, as Britain claims, poisoned the former GRU officer with nerve gas. Without waiting for results from the investigation Federica Mogherini, Head of European diplomacy supported Theresa May, while the Swedish Foreign Ministry summoned our ambassador.
Alexander Khabarov has found out what London actually wants to find in this foggy case, and Salima Zarif is reporting on the consequences of the scandal for the British consulate.
The protective screen still encloses the restaurant, where Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia had dinner on the day of poisoning. A police post has been established in the cemetery, where they came to the graves of his son and wife. The version of a poisoned bunch of flowers has already been ruled out. Nothing was found in the house of the former colonel either. Now British newspapers are discussing the assumption that unknown criminals could have sprayed the poison on the door handles of Skripal's car, or it somehow got into its ventilation system.
Scotland Yard still reports only statistical data: 250 detectives are working on the case, over 600 pieces of evidence have been collected. Investigators state that quick results shouldn't be expected. It will take months to establish something. London did it best to delay an independent examination of the Novichok nerve agent allegedly found in the analysis of the victims. It's called differently in the UK — A234. Russia says that such a substance has never been developed. Today, the secret laboratory of Porton Down, eight miles away far from Salisbury, hosted experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons who came to get the samples of the substance that the British prepared for them. It will take them at least two weeks to analyze its composition.
Today 23 Russian diplomats are to leave London, declared personae non gratae after unfounded accusations against Russia. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the expulsion of the same number of British diplomats and the closure of the British consulate in St. Petersburg.
The building of the General Consulate of Great Britain is in the heart of St. Petersburg, near Smolny. This building on the Square of the Proletarian Dictatorship was built in the early 20th century for an orphanage. Diplomats moved into it in 1994 after major repairs. They don't seem to have left yet, at least, the flags are still there.
The British Parliament is preparing new punishments, this time for politically engaged wealthy Russians who own real estate in the UK. The head of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable, demands that the government oblige them to report how they earned their fortunes and confiscate the houses of those whose answers the British don't like.
London is trying to draw other countries into the conflict. British Foreign Secretary Johnson today called on the EU partners to condemn Moscow.
Boris Johnson: "I think what people can see is that this is a classic Russia strategy, of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation".
But in Brussels, they demanded proof from London. Not having received them, the EU foreign ministers confined themselves to a vague communiqué.
Moscow has already said that the Russian Federation is not involved in the poisoning and destroyed the last of its chemical weapons last year.
Dmitry Peskov, the President's spokesman: "We understand the Euro-Atlantic solidarity but again I repeat, they'll have to stand by their unfounded allegations sooner or later, by either providing evidence or making apologies".
At the same time, Russia has never refused to cooperate, but, on the contrary, has offered its assistance to Great Britain. The problem is that London is still hiding information about the investigation progress and even did not give the Russian consulate the access to the victims of poisoning, who are Russian citizens.
Alexander Khabarov, Ilya Mordyukov for Vesti from Salisbury.
