Summary
An inquiry concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "morally responsible" for the death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in 2018 after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. The report also found that the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, which occurred shortly before Sturgess's death, had to be authorized at a high level, linking it to the Russian government. Following the report, the UK imposed sanctions on Russia's military intelligence agency.
Key Facts
- Dawn Sturgess died in July 2018 after coming into contact with the nerve agent Novichok.
- The poisoning was part of an attempted assassination on Sergei Skripal and his daughter, which occurred earlier in 2018.
- An inquiry found Russian President Vladimir Putin "morally responsible" for Sturgess's death.
- Russia denies involvement in the poisoning and called the report's findings "tasteless fairy tales."
- The UK government imposed sanctions on Russia's GRU intelligence agency following the report.
- The Skripals survived the poisoning and are believed to have fully recovered.
- There were criticisms in the report about how Sergei Skripal's situation was managed in the UK.
- Wiltshire Police apologized for previously mischaracterizing Dawn Sturgess during the inquiry.
