Key Takeaways
- Russian President Vladimir Putin was found to be "morally responsible" for the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was poisoned by Novichok in 2018.
- The inquiry concluded that the operation to assassinate former Russian spy Sergei Skripal must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.
- The UK government has sanctioned Russia’s main military intelligence agency, the GRU, in response to the report’s findings.
- The report found that Dawn Sturgess’ death was "pointless and arbitrary" and that she had been an "entirely innocent victim of the cruel and cynical acts of others".
- The family of Dawn Sturgess has expressed concern over the lack of recommendations from the report and wants to ensure that what happened to her does not happen to anyone else.
Introduction to the Inquiry
The inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was poisoned by Novichok in 2018, has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "morally responsible" for her death. The mother-of-three died in July 2018, eight days after being poisoned by the nerve agent, which was disguised as perfume. The inquiry, which was led by Lord Anthony Hughes, found that the operation to assassinate former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, which was carried out by two Russian nationals, must have been authorized at the highest level, by President Putin.
The Attack on Sergei Skripal
The attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia was carried out in March 2018, when the two Russian nationals travelled to Salisbury to carry out the assassination. The Skripals were found seriously ill in central Salisbury, but both are believed to have made a full recovery. The inquiry found that the attack was "expected to stand as a public demonstration of Russian power" and "amounted to a public statement, both for international and domestic consumption, that Russia will act decisively in what it regards as its own interests".
The Death of Dawn Sturgess
Dawn Sturgess was unknowingly given the poison by her partner Charlie Rowley, who had found it in a charity bin shortly after the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal. The inquiry found that Ms Sturgess’ condition after she sprayed the nerve agent on her wrists had been "unsurvivable from a very early stage". The report concluded that the care she received had been "entirely appropriate" and that "no medical treatment could in fact have saved her life". Ms Sturgess’ family has expressed concern over the lack of recommendations from the report and wants to ensure that what happened to her does not happen to anyone else.
Response to the Report
The UK government has sanctioned Russia’s main military intelligence agency, the GRU, in response to the report’s findings. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the report’s findings were "a grave reminder of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent lives". Russia has denied any involvement in the attacks and has described the report’s findings as "tasteless fairy tales". The report’s conclusions have been met with a mixed response, with some praising the inquiry’s thoroughness and others expressing concern over the lack of recommendations.
failures in Managing Sergei Skripal
The inquiry found that there had been failings in how Sergei Skripal was managed, particularly in terms of alerting senior officers if anything significant happened to him. The report concluded that regular written assessments were not carried out and that additional security measures would not have prevented the poisoning. However, the report also found that giving Mr Skripal a whole new identity may have avoided the attack, but the risk was not deemed severe enough in 2018 to warrant it and Mr Skripal would not have agreed to it.
Conclusion
The inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "morally responsible" for her death. The report’s findings have been met with a mixed response, with some praising the inquiry’s thoroughness and others expressing concern over the lack of recommendations. The UK government has sanctioned Russia’s main military intelligence agency, the GRU, in response to the report’s findings. The family of Dawn Sturgess has expressed concern over the lack of recommendations from the report and wants to ensure that what happened to her does not happen to anyone else. The report’s conclusions serve as a reminder of the need for vigilance and cooperation in preventing such attacks in the future.