UK Awaits Inquiry Findings on the Novichok Poisoning That Claimed Dawn Sturgess’s Life

Post by : Saif Nasser

Britain is preparing for a major announcement as a public inquiry releases its findings into the death of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who died after accidentally coming into contact with the deadly Novichok nerve agent in 2018. This tragic event happened months after the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter Yulia.

The poisoning took place in Salisbury, a quiet city in southern England. Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench after a powerful nerve agent was spread on the door handle of Skripal’s home. British authorities later said that Russian military intelligence officers carried out the attack. Russia has always denied this.

Four months after the attack, Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, became the unexpected victim. Her partner had picked up a fake perfume bottle that police believe was used by the attackers to carry the poison into Britain. Dawn sprayed the perfume on her wrists, not knowing it contained a nerve agent strong enough to kill thousands of people. She died soon after, while her partner survived but was seriously ill.

Three Russian nationals have been charged in absentia by British police. They are believed to be officers of Russia’s GRU intelligence agency. Two of them appeared on Russian television, claiming they were simply tourists visiting Salisbury’s famous cathedral. All three deny any involvement.

No one has been charged directly for Dawn Sturgess’s death, but her family has waited years for answers. The inquiry has examined secret evidence from British intelligence agencies and reviewed Skripal’s past work as a spy. Skripal, who now lives in hiding, expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin must have approved the attack.

The poisoning caused one of the biggest diplomatic rifts between Russia and Western countries since the Cold War. Dozens of Russian diplomats were expelled from Europe and the United States. Since then, relations have worsened even more because of Russia’s war in Ukraine and Britain’s strong support for Kyiv.

The upcoming report is expected to shed more light on how the attack was planned, how the nerve agent entered the country, and what failures may have allowed the tragedy to affect innocent people. The Skripals did not testify in person due to fears for their safety, and their current whereabouts remain unknown.