The UK has imposed full sanctions on Russia's military intelligence agency GRU and eight of its cyber officers after a public inquiry found President Vladimir Putin "morally responsible" for the death of British citizen Dawn Sturgess. The 44-year-old mother of three died in July 2018 after being poisoned by Novichok nerve agent.
The inquiry concluded Putin authorized the assassination operation that left the deadly substance on British streets. Foreign Secretary announced the sanctions on Thursday, targeting individuals involved in both cyber operations and the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Dawn Sturgess died after spraying herself with what she thought was perfume from a discarded bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire. The bottle contained Novichok left behind by Russian agents after they smeared the nerve agent on Sergei Skripal's door handle in Salisbury in March 2018. The attack also poisoned Skripal's daughter Yulia and police officer Nick Bailey.
Inquiry finds Putin authorized operation
Lord Hughes of Ombersley, who chaired the inquiry, concluded that deploying the nerve agent was an «astonishingly reckless act». He stated: «I have concluded that the operation to assassinate Sergei Skripal must have been authorised at the highest level by President Putin.»
The inquiry found the attack amounted to a public demonstration of Russian state power for both international and domestic impact. Lord Hughes concluded: «I conclude that all those involved in the assassination attempt (not only Petrov, Boshirov and Fedotov but also those who sent them, and anyone else giving authorisation or knowing assistance in Russia or elsewhere) were morally responsible for Dawn Sturgess's death.»
The risk that others beyond the intended target might be killed was described as entirely foreseeable. This risk was dramatically magnified by leaving a bottle of Novichok disguised as perfume in the city.
UK targets GRU with new sanctions
The sanctions target the GRU for cyber operations including the use of X-agent malware against Yulia Skripal. Five years after targeting her with cyber attacks, she and her father were subjected to attempted murder on UK soil.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack in a statement: «The Salisbury poisonings shocked the nation and today's findings are a grave reminder of the Kremlin's disregard for innocent lives. Dawn's needless death was a tragedy and will forever be a reminder of Russia's reckless aggression. [...] The UK will always stand up to Putin's brutal regime and call out his murderous machine for what it is. Today's sanctions are the latest step in our unwavering defence of European security, as we continue to squeeze Russia's finances and strengthen Ukraine's position at the negotiating table.»
The sanctions are described as part of Britain's ongoing effort to defend European security, financially pressure Russia, and strengthen Ukraine's negotiating position.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
