Criminal investigation

Russia defies UK ultimatum for ex-spy poisoning explanation as deadline runs out

Russia will not respond to UK Prime Minister Theresa May's demand for an explanation over the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury until it has a sample of the toxin. May's deadline expired on Wednesday at midnight.

The Russian embassy in the UK backed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's earlier statement that Moscow would not respond to London's ultimatum unless the internationally-accepted procedure is followed in the investigation. The case must go through the proper channels of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), of which both Russia and the UK are members, Lavrov said on Tuesday. The OPCW rules allow London to send a formal inquiry to Moscow, with a 10-day window for a reply.

Moscow sent a request for a sample of the purported chemical agent as soon as allegations of its Soviet origins surfaced, Lavrov said. Those requests have been ignored by London. “Russia will not respond to London’s ultimatum until it receives samples of the chemical substance,” an embassy spokesman told Reuters as the deadline expired.