‘High purity’ Novichok was used in Skripals attack, watchdog confirms

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson steps up attack on the Kremlin

Independent chemical weapons scientists have confirmed the UK’s findings that “high purity” novichok was used to target the former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury.

While Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) does not specifically name Novichok, the UK government says its scientists have identified the agent as a military-grade Novichok nerve agent.

Breaking: chemical weapons watchdog confirms UK correctly identified substance used to poison Skripals (ie it was novichok). Of “high purity”.
Toxic chemical’s name, structure given in classified report.https://t.co/JS8dM8Z8bn pic.twitter.com/T7NAhIIEgU

— Tom Parfitt (@parfitt_tom) April 12, 2018

Calling the results “conclusive”, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stepped up the attack on the Kremlin and demanded ‘answers’ from Russia.

Johnson said the OPCW had confirmed Britain’s assessment that the substance was ‘a military grade nerve agent – a Novichok’.

‘We will now work tirelessly with our partners to help stamp out the grotesque use of weapons of this kind and we have called a session of the OPCW Executive Council next Wednesday to discuss next steps. The Kremlin must give answers,’ he added.

The tests were carried out by four independent laboratories affiliated with OPCW and samples were transported under a “full chain of custody”, the report said.