Trendpills
A UK public inquiry has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “morally responsible” for the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was unintentionally poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok in 2018. The report, led by retired judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley, found it probable that the attack was authorized at the highest levels of the Russian state, leading up to Putin.
Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died in July 2018 after being exposed to Novichok in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Her partner, Charlie Rowley, also fell critically ill but survived. The pair came into contact with a counterfeit perfume bottle that Rowley had found and given to Sturgess. The bottle contained a lethal dose of the military-grade nerve agent,enough to kill thousands of people. The deadly substance was concealed in a counterfeit Nina Ricci 'Premier Jour' perfume bottle, which was discarded by the attackers after its initial use.
The inquiry established that the Novichok was brought to the UK by two Russian intelligence (GRU) officers for an assassination attempt targeting former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the nearby city of Salisbury. Both the Skripals and a police officer, Nick Bailey, were poisoned in March 2018 but survived. Lord Hughes stated that the GRU agents, using the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, “almost certainly” carried out the attack under the direction of their superiors. The conclusion was drawn that it was “at least probable” that the operation was pre-approved by Putin.
Sturgess’s family has long campaigned for accountability. In a statement, her daughter, Gracie, said the findings confirmed their belief about Russian state responsibility and called it a “significant step in our fight for justice.” The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in both the Salisbury attack and Sturgess's subsequent death. The UK government welcomed the report's findings, vowing to continue its pursuit of justice for the victims and to hold Russia accountable on the international stage. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat called the attack a “brazen and reckless act” by the Russian state.
