The prime minister has urged Russia to hand over the spies responsible for the 2018 Salisbury novichok attack after a third GRU agent was charged.
Denis Sergeev, who travelled to the UK under the alias Sergey Fedotov, is believed to have commanded the two GRU agents who carried out the poisoning from a London hotel.
Boris Johnson told Sky News that Britain wants “all the suspects handed over for justice”.
He said Russia has already paid a “heavy price” over the poisoning following the mass expulsion of diplomats, but added: “They should recognise that our sense of justice is not abated. Dawn Sturgess, an innocent member of the British public, died in that event and we want to see those suspects handed over.”
Sergeev flew from Moscow to Heathrow Airport on 2 March 2018, arriving around four hours before his colleagues, and stayed at a hotel in Paddington for two nights.
British counter-terror police said Sergeev met the two agents who then travelled to Salisbury “on more than one occasion” over the weekend of the attack, but that no traces of novichok were found at his hotel.
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Sergeev, aged around 50, flew back to Moscow from Heathrow at 1.45pm on 4 March, less than two hours after the nerve agent was applied to Sergei Skripal’s door.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised the same charges against him as the two previous suspects, including the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia, the grievous bodily harm of police officer Nick Bailey and the use of novichok as a chemical weapon.
The Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing said Sergeev “operated as a team” with Alexander Petrov, alias Alexander Mishkin, and Ruslan Boshirov, alias Anatoliy Chepiga.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, told a press conference: “They came here separately in two groups, Petrov and Boshirov together, Fedotov by himself, met, and without a doubt they’ve operated as a small team with a view to deploying novichok to kill people in this country.
“There is other intelligence that suggests they’ve been here before, but in other countries as well working as a threesome and likely with others … in relation to similar attacks.”
British police are working with their counterparts in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, in relation to attacks linked to the same suspects. Investigators said there was no evidence that they have been involved in previous attacks in the UK.
In a statement in parliament on Tuesday, the home secretary called the attack an “appalling event which shook the whole country and united our allies in condemnation”.
Dawn Sturgess died after unknowingly applying novichok to her skin
(PA)
Priti Patel did not announce any new sanctions or diplomatic expulsions against Russia, but told MPs that “discussions are taking place” with allies.
“We are looking at what other levers we have and what the next steps should be,” she said. “Should any of these individuals ever travel outside Russia, we will work with our international partners and take every possible step to detain them and extradite them to face justice.”
The charges announced on Tuesday do not cover the death of Ms Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother, who died in July 2018 after her boyfriend found a counterfeit perfume bottle containing the nerve agent.
Charlie Rowley gave Ms Sturgess what he believed to be a present in Amesbury, near Salisbury, not knowing it contained enough novichok to kill “thousands of people”, police said.
He survived being poisoned after quickly washing the substance off, but Ms Sturgess died days after applying it to her skin in the belief it was perfume.
Mr Haydon said the investigation into how Mr Rowley found the bottle in June 2018, and where it had been following the Skripal attack almost four months earlier, was still ongoing.
“ There are still parts of the picture we have not been able to piece together,” he added. “We remain as determined as ever to bring those responsible for Dawn’s murder and Charlie’s poisoning to justice.”
The Russian government has denied any involvement in the 2018 attack. At a press conference on Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the UK of “deliberately worsening relations” and using the poisoning “to increase anti-Russian feeling in British society”.
“We condemn attempts to blame Russia,” she added. “We are trying to ascertain the truth and want exhaustive information from the UK, and to fulfil obligations to give us consulate access to our citizens [Sergei and Yulia Skripal]”.
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Show all 19
1/19Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Salisbury train station The two suspects charged in relation to the attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal at Salisbury train station at 16:11hrs on 03 March 2018
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspects Suspects Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, Russian nationals, approximately 40 years old, who travelled on a Russian passport. It is likely that they were travelling under aliases and that these are not their real names
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence Bottle and applicator recovered by police from Charlie Rowley’s address in Muggleton Road
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Evidence A counterfeit perfume box that was discovered by nerve agent victim Charlie Rowley, who later gave it, and the bottle inside, to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess
Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Rowley has previously said he felt lucky to be alive after giving a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok to his girlfriend Dawn Sturgess, who later died
Metropolitan Police/AFP/Getty
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Suspeccts The CPS has issued European Arrest Warrants for the extradition of 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' in connection with the Novichok poisoning attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March
Metropolitan Police/PA
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – ‘Boshirov' at Gatwick airport Movements in detail - At 3pm on Friday, 2 March, the suspects arrived at Gatwick airport, having flown from Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2588
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – ‘Petrov’ at Gatwick airport From the airport it is believed that they travelled by train into London, arriving at Victoria station at approximately 5.40pm
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Salisbury train station, 11:48hrs on 4 March 2018 They then travelled on London public transport to Waterloo station and were in the area between approximately 6pm and 7pm. They travelled to the City Stay Hotel in Bow Road, East London, where they stayed on Friday, 2 March, and Saturday, 3 March. On Saturday, 3 March, they left the hotel and took the underground to Waterloo station, arriving at approximately 11.45am, where they caught a train to Salisbury, arriving at approximately 2.25pm
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack City Stay Hotel in Bow Road Police officers stand outside the City Stay Hotel in Bow where on Sunday, 4 March, 'Boshirov' and 'Petrov' made the same journey from the hotel as they did the previous day, again using the underground from Bow to Waterloo station at approximately 8.05am, before continuing their journey by train to Salisbury
Getty
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Wilton Road, Salisbury, 11:58hrs on 4 March 2018 CCTV shows them in the vicinity of Mr Skripal’s house and we believe that they contaminated the front door with Novichok
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Fisherton Road CCTV image of both suspects on Fisherton Road, Salisbury at 13:05hrs on 4 March, 2018
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Salisbury train station, 13:50hrs on 4 March 2018 They left Salisbury and returned to Waterloo Station, arriving at approximately 4.45pm and boarded the London Underground at approximately 6.30pm to London Heathrow Airport
Metropolitan Police
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack CCTV – Heathrow airport security, 19:28hrs on 4 March 2018 From Heathrow Airport, they returned to Moscow on Aeroflot flight SU2585, departing at 10.30pm
Metropolitan Police/PA
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The police investigation was carried out over 6 months. Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found on March 4 in a critical condition on a bench outside the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury
AFP
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, right, and his daughter Yulia
Rex
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who rushed to the aid of the Skripals was also taken to hospital in a serious condition after falling ill when attempting to help them
PA
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Victims Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died after falling ill when partner Charlie Rowley gave her a perfume bottle that contained the nerve agent Novichok
Facebook/AFP/Getty
Police release images of suspects in connection with Salisbury attack Scene investigations The home of Charlie Rowley in Muggleton Road, Amesbury, where he and Dawn Sturgess were exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok
PA
The CPS is not applying to Russia for an extradition warrant because the country’s constitution does not permit the extradition of its own nationals.
Instead, Interpol red notices have been issued meaning the suspects can be arrested if they leave Russia - where all three men are believed to remain.
Mr Haydon said British authorities had seen “very little cooperation from Russia” since 2018, or in previous cases such as the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled on Tuesday that Russia was responsible for the 2006 killing of the ex-KGB officer who died an agonising death after he was poisoned in London with Polonium 210.
Mr Haydon added: “The Foreign Office will be talking on diplomatic channels to Russia but from the police investigation side, our due process is to seek arrest warrants and circulate those through Interpol.
“If there is an opportunity to arrest those individuals and put them in front of a UK court to seek justice for those individuals mentioned or the people of Salisbury, we will do that.”
Sergeev’s identity and other details of the attack were previously revealed by the investigative website Bellingcat, but Mr Haydon said it had taken time to gather evidence that reached the threshold for a criminal charge.
The investigation is still live, and police are investigating other suspects who may have been part of the poisoning operation targeting Mr Skripal, a former double agent who gave information to MI6.
“We have to follow due process and follow the evidence,” Mr Haydon added. “We are investigating a number of people. We can only evidentially prove [involvement by] the three we have announced but we continue to investigate others as well and if we reach the evidential standard to charge them we will.”
Police are appealing for anyone who saw Sergeev in the UK, or may have information on the whereabouts of the counterfeit Nina Ricci perfume bottle between March and June 2018 to call the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321 or email salisbury2018@met.police.uk.