The Skripals case: together with Petrov and Boshirov, London wants to try General Sergeyev

Sergey Kron

In the course of a journalistic investigation by the BBC, it turned out that Denis Sergeyev holds the rank of Major General and serves in Russia's military intelligence - the GRU. According to one version, Fedotov-Sergeyev could have directed the actions of other accused of poisoning the Skripals.

The police do not sit still either. Her agents found that two men, who called themselves Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, arrived at Gatwick Airport on March 2, 2018. Their real names are Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga. Denis Sergeyev with documents in the name of "Sergey Fedotov" flew to another London airport - Heathrow, on the same day at 11 o'clock in the morning. Chepiga and Mishkin went to Salisbury. Several hours later, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned.

Bellingcat and BBC staff managed to find out some details about Denis Sergeyev's trip to London. He settled near London Paddington Station, while his colleagues rented a room in another part of the city.

Sergeyev has used the Internet hundreds of times over these days via 3G and 4G and avoided public Wi-Fi hotspots. He mainly wrote messages on WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram channel.

Sergeyev called only one telephone number, which, contrary to Russian laws, had no owner for several years. Sergeyev himself was called from this number ten times.

The suspect spent most of the time in the Paddington area, but on the morning of March 3, he drove to the Thames embankment. If we compare this information with previously published police data on the whereabouts of other suspects, then we can assume that it was there that he met with Petrov and Boshirov, who soon after took the train to Salisbury.

According to Bellingcat, Fedotov had visited Britain twice before, in 2016 and 2017. Moreover, in 2017 he was in the country at the same time as Colonel Alexander Mishkin.

In February 2019, Sergeev's wife Tatiana, in a telephone conversation with the BBC, called the assumption that her husband was serving in the GRU "fairy tale". However, she refused to answer the question of what her husband is doing.

Fedotov had previously visited Bulgaria several times, the authorities of this country noted. In April 2015, as previously reported by Bellingcat investigators, he flew into the country, but did not show up for the return flight.

It was at this time in Bulgaria that the local arms businessman Emilian Gebrev was poisoned. On April 28, 2015, he felt unwell after having dinner with business partners. Two more became ill - son Gebrev and one of the top managers of his company. All three were hospitalized with symptoms of severe poisoning.

Later Gebrev ordered an examination in the laboratory, and experts came to the conclusion that they tried to kill the entrepreneur with a nerve agent of the "Novichok" class. The same substance was found on the doorknob of the house where Sergei Skripal lived.

Fedotov, according to Prague journalists, has also been to the Czech Republic. The weekly Respekt, which participated in the investigation, writes that at the end of January 2014, he came to the Czech Republic with Mishkin.

In October and December of the same year, two explosions of ammunition depots took place in the Czech Republic. Czech investigators said they believed the GRU agents Alexander Mishkina and Anatoly Chepiga were guilty. Both were put on the international wanted list.

Grushniki Petrov and Boshirov once gave an interview to the RT channel after the Skripals were poisoned. Both claimed to be in the fitness industry, which is why they often travel to Europe. And the trip to Salisbury was explained by the desire to see the local sights.

"Russia will attempt assassination time and time again on British soil unless the government" acts very decisively, "British intelligence officials warn.

Meanwhile, according to The Independent, in London, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has demanded that the Russian authorities "extradite" the three suspects in the Salisbury assassination attempt so that they appear before a British court. However, Russia completely denies any involvement. By the way, there is no extradition treaty between the two countries.

Speaking in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Britain of "deliberate deterioration of relations" and of using this poisoning to "strengthen anti-Russian sentiments in British society."

“We condemn attempts to blame Russia”, - she said. "We are trying to establish the truth and want to receive comprehensive information from London Britain".

Conservative MP David Davis told the House of Commons that there are "very clear lessons" to be drawn from the case.

“If we do not act very decisively, they will do it again,” the MP said. "Therefore, we must act, and not only against the officers of the GRU, whom the Minister of Internal Affairs has very clearly indicated, but also against any actions of the Russian state".

The investigation continues, and the police are investigating other suspects who may have been involved in the poisoning.