Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
LONDON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) — The British government on Thursday announced sanctions against Russia's GRU military intelligence agency after an official report found that the GRU was linked to the death of a British citizen on British soil seven years ago.
The government also summoned the Russian ambassador to respond to allegations of "an ongoing campaign of hostile Russian actions" against the UK.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected new sanctions against the GRU, the TASS news agency reported later that day.
"The Russian side does not recognize illegitimate sanctions imposed under trumped-up pretexts in circumvention of the UN Security Council, and reserves the right to retaliatory measures," she stated.
In June 2018, a British couple from the southern British town of Amesbury were hospitalized after exposure to the deadly nerve agent Novichok. While her partner survived, 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess died, reportedly due to poisoning.
In March of that year, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the same agent in Salisbury, about 11 km from Amesbury, but survived.
A report released Thursday said the Novichok found in Amesbury "came from the same batch as that found in Salisbury" and that the vial of Novichok that killed D. Sturgess was likely discarded by Skripal's alleged poisoners after being used to poison him and his daughter.
The report concludes that responsibility for the death of D. Sturgess lies with three suspected poisoners from Salisbury, who, according to the report, were GRU officers.
"This Novichok was developed and stored in Russia in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention," the UK government said in a statement.
In 2018, Russia denied involvement in two poisoning incidents, calling the accusations baseless and unacceptable.
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