Russians accused by UK in spy case: We were in Salisbury for tourism

By Andrew Osborn

 

FILE PHOTO: The forensic tent, covering the bench where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found, is repositioned by officials in protective suits in the centre of Salisbury, Britain, March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Two Russians appeared on state television on Thursday, saying they had been wrongly accused by Britain of trying to murder a former Russian spy and his daughter in England and had been visiting Salisbury in March for tourism.

 

British prosecutors last week identified two Russians they said were operating under aliases - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov - whom they accused of trying to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal with a military-grade nerve agent in England.

 

The two men who appeared on Russia’s state-funded RT television station had some physical similarities to the men shown in British police images.

 

“Our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town,” one of the men said of the English town of Salisbury in a short clip of the interview played by RT.

 

They said they may have approached Sergei Skripal’s house by chance but did not know where it was located. They had stayed less than hour in Salisbury, they said, because of bad weather.

 

Britain has said the two suspects were Russian military intelligence officers almost certainly acting on orders from high up in the Russian state. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the case.

 

Skripal - a former Russian military intelligence colonel who betrayed dozens of agents to Britain’s MI6 foreign intelligence service - and his daughter were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the English city of Salisbury in March. They spent weeks in hospital before being discharged.

 

The two men said they did not work for GRU, were ordinary businessmen, and the victim of what they called “a fantastical coincidence.”

 

The duo surfaced a day after President Vladimir Putin said Russia had located Petrov and Boshirov, but that there was nothing special or criminal about them. He expressed hope they would come forward and speak publicly.

 

The affair returned to the headlines in July when a woman near Salisbury, Dawn Sturgess, died and her partner Charlie Rowley fell ill after Rowley found a counterfeit bottle of Nina Ricci perfume containing the Novichok nerve agent and brought it home.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-9-13

Did anyone think they would say otherwise?

 

"... the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions".

 

 

 

Typical of Russia.

 

You know, we know, we lie... they actually want us to know they did it without saying they did it.

 

They are like a 4 year old saying it was the tooth fairy...

 

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

Did anyone think they would say otherwise?

 

"... the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions".

 

 

 

Come on Crossy.

 

When this happened we had our Thai visa super sleuths tell us the victims were a couple of typical Russians who got mouthy at the local curry house and the locals gave the a well deserved whats what...

 

I’m sure they’ll be along shortly to tell us that the Gothic buildings of Salisbury are indeed a massive bucket list item for all Russians! 

The two secret Russia undercover GRU Comrade-Tovarish Assassins apparently used their real names and passports.

 

The thing about the Skripal Farce is that Boshirov & Petrov don’t have to justify or prove anything. The British Govt does. There’s no verifiable evidence actually linking these two to the Skripals.

 

Oh and by the way, where are the Skripals?

Looks very orchestrated, not convincing in the least.

 

 

47 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

The two secret Russia undercover GRU Comrade-Tovarish Assassins apparently used their real names and passports.

 

The thing about the Skripal Farce is that Boshirov & Petrov don’t have to justify or prove anything. The British Govt does. There’s no verifiable evidence actually linking these two to the Skripals.

 

Oh and by the way, where are the Skripals?

The accused could volunteer to have the opportunity to prove their innocence in a UK Court, but will not. Why do you expect HMG to put on the public record secret intelligence matters which would be presented in camera? However, evidence in the public record to date...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43643025

 

One thing for sure, if I were the Skripals I would not want in the public domain where I am located.

9 hours ago, Basil B said:

Typical of Russia.

 

You know, we know, we lie... they actually want us to know they did it without saying they did it.

 

They are like a 4 year old saying it was the tooth fairy...

    You nailed it

Yes it was all just coincidence even the traces of novichock found in the very same hotel room they stayed in amazing ? 

Good try Vlad.... but no cigar!!

Amazing how the one place they stay has traces of Novichok.  Those images shown on the bbc link sure don't look like they were out for tourism.  Those are a couple Shady looking characters. Also got to love the timing of their departure on the exact same day of the incident.

 

Harmless tourists indeed!

Do they expect anyone to believe their TV interview in Russia? Quoted straight from Wikipedia I think on the facts about Salisbury. 2 Russian tourists arrive in London Gatwick at 3pm on Friday afternoon and then go to Salisbury twice and then fly out of Heathrow at 10:30pm on Sunday. Really.....

Chances of Putin extraditing them to the UK  would be somewhere between nought and zero.

The Brits may as well close the file.

I quite like Salisbury, but I find it hard to believe that two men would fly all the way from Moscow to visit it for an hour or so!

Whoever prepped them for that did not do a great job.  Sitting back, hands out of view and expressionless faces does not seem to tally with the claim of being upset and scared at their lives being turned upside down.  I expected more leaning forward, anguished faces and imploring hand movements begging people to believe that they were innocent and wrongly accused of murder.  They look more like a pair of confident people with no worries at all who know they can't be touched.

They say they left Salisbury because of the slush (wet snow). Russians!

Vlad is rubbing our (Westerners) noses in it. Amazing what you can do when you have the president of the US by his tiny tiiiiny nuts.

Well dont two family men ,always leave their family at home,fly off together for a 3 day trip to explore the sights thousands of miles away , then ,stay in a hotel over a hundred miles away from those sights and catch a train there to see them,well dont they .

talk about rubbing our noses in it ,

Anti - Russian sentiment certainly seems to be working very effectively ? 

Well done media, sure you have no alternative agenda ?

6 hours ago, vogie said:

Looks very orchestrated, not convincing in the least.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, JAG said:

I quite like Salisbury, but I find it hard to believe that two men would fly all the way from Moscow to visit it for an hour or so!

Sure, fly all the way from Russia to the UK and then travel to Salisbury to quickly see the cathedral but skip seeing Stonehenge, which is about 13 kilometers away from the city.  (I am sure the cathedral is lovely, but it isn't Stonehenge.). 

I reckon even pro Putin Russians don't believe them either. Putin's just rubbing it in our faces. 

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Anti - Russian sentiment certainly seems to be working very effectively ? 

Well done media, sure you have no alternative agenda ?

So, dude, do you believe them? 

4 hours ago, JAG said:

I quite like Salisbury, but I find it hard to believe that two men would fly all the way from Moscow to visit it for an hour or so!

 

twice...

 

Edited September 14, 20187 yr by Basil B

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Putin's just rubbing it in our faces. 

More like trying to insult our intelligence...

1 minute ago, Basil B said:

More like trying to insult our intelligence...

No. I don't think it's meant to be believable. It's a big troll. He doesn't care what westerners think and he'd do it again and MUCH WORSE in heartbeat. 

Edited September 14, 20187 yr by Jingthing

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Anti - Russian sentiment certainly seems to be working very effectively ? 

Well done media, sure you have no alternative agenda ?

 

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So, dude, do you believe them? 

This would be a good question if it didn't rely entirely on political/media propaganda/bias!

 

Personally, I still have little idea as apparently the 'genuine proof' cannot be revealed as it my harm 'national security'.  According to another poster....

 

Yes, it seems more than likely that the russians were responsible - but the whole thing would be a farce, except one innocent person died as a result. ☹️

Edited September 14, 20187 yr by dick dasterdly

5 hours ago, Snow Leopard said:

Do they expect anyone to believe their TV interview in Russia? Quoted straight from Wikipedia I think on the facts about Salisbury. 2 Russian tourists arrive in London Gatwick at 3pm on Friday afternoon and then go to Salisbury twice and then fly out of Heathrow at 10:30pm on Sunday. Really.....

Funny interview by Russia Today. Real journalist would have asked how many times they have visited UK, what other similar places around the world they have visited to see some cathedrals. Could they tell some details of these other places etc. etc.

 

Rather culturel people on fitness business these days.. 

56 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

So, dude, do you believe them? 

Is that any of your business? - dude!

 

They lied. I think they must say the truth: "Putin tell us to use chemical weapons to make a big scandal just 3 days before Putin`s elections". ??