Skripal Accuses Putin of Novichok Attack Authorization

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally authorizing the Novichok nerve agent attack on him and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, UK, in March 2018. Skripal testified at an inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who died after coming into contact with the same nerve agent months later. The UK government also believes Putin sanctioned the attack, as revealed by a senior Foreign Office official during the inquiry. Skripal, a former GRU agent, emphasized that such an operation would require Putin's approval and noted that any GRU commander acting without it would face severe consequences. The inquiry aims to understand if Sturgess was an unintended casualty of the assassination attempt on the Skripals. Despite surviving, Skripal, Yulia, and others suffered severe symptoms, while Sturgess's death raises questions about differing medical treatments received.