The third man: police name new suspect in Novichok poisonings

A “HIGHLY trained” Russian military officer was today dramatically named as a third member of the assassination squad behind the Salisbury Novichok attack on the former spy Sergei Skripal

Counter-terrorism police said Denis Sergeev flew into Heathrow two days before the failed attempt to fatally poison former spy Sergei Skripal and held several meetings in the capital with the two Russians already known to have carried out the attack. Police said Sergeev left on the day of the poisoning in March 2018 on a flight to Moscow that left hours before his fellow conspirators, Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga, made their escape via the same airport.

Detectives said they had evidence to show the three men were from Russia’s GRU military intelligence spy agency and had acted as a team to try to murder Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia and they were also suspected of mounting other attacks in Europe, including in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. They said their actions in Salisbury — where they used Novichok smuggled into Britain in a perfume bottle to poison Mr Skripal and his daughter — could have killed “hundreds if not thousands” instead of claiming solely the life of Dawn Sturgess, 44. She died after her partner picked up the discarded perfume bottle in nearby Amesbury months after the attack and gave it to her unaware of its toxic contents.

The Skripals fell seriously ill, but recovered, as did police officer Nick Bailey, who was poisoned by the contaminated door handle of Mr Skripal’s home.

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, said investigations were continuing. But he said prosecutors had agreed to authorise charges against Sergeev to mirror those levelled against Mishkin and Chepiga.

“This marks another significant development in our investigation,” he said.

“Ever since these terrible incidents occurred, we were clear that we would be relentless in our investigation and our pursuit of justice for the victims.”

He said of the three suspects “we now have evidence that links them to the GRU” and that “all three of them are dangerous individuals” who have “tried to murder people here in the UK” as well as mounting similar operations abroad. The charges against Sergeev include conspiring to murder Mr Skripal, 66, a former Russian double agent, and the attempted murder of Mr Skripal, Ms Skripal and Mr Bailey.

Mr Haydon said Sergeev is also being charged with use and possession of Novichok, a chemical agent developed in Russia, and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Ms Skripal and Mr Bailey.

Mr Haydon said police believed Sergeev was in Russia along with Mishkin and Chepiga and there was no extradition treaty in place that would allow them to be brought to Britain to stand trial. He indicated that police had received no sign of cooperation from Moscow — which has denied involvement in the attack — in bringing the suspects to justice, but the Interpol notices and arrest warrants would be used to attempt to detain them if they ventured abroad.

Giving details of Sergeev’s movements in London, Mr Haydon said he had arrived under the alias Sergey Fedotov at Heathrow on March 2 2018, four hours before Mishkin and Chepiga flew in to Gatwick. The trio met several times in the capital over the weekend.

Mr Haydon did not disclose the hotel where Sergeev stayed nor the sites of their meetings, but said checks had shown no presence of Novichok at the hotel or any risk to people staying there. He said Sergeev had not left the capital but had flown out of Heathrow on March 4, the day of the attack.