Neil Basu, the former head of UK counter-terrorism policing, expressed his concerns that the 2018 Salisbury poisonings involving Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, could be classified as an 'act of war'. The nerve agent, Novichok, was later identified as a colorless and odorless weapon that posed significant dangers, as it was nearly impossible to detect. Tragically, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess died months later after being exposed to Novichok from a perfume bottle, leading Basu to blame the Kremlin for her death. Basu highlighted the recklessness of allowing such a deadly substance to remain on foreign soil and remarked on the challenges faced by authorities during the investigation. Despite two Russian nationals being named as suspects, no one has been charged in connection with Sturgess's death, and the Russian government has denied involvement. The investigation's complexity left Basu questioning the nature of the attack and the potential implications of using such a weapon.