A new true crime documentary, The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door, airs tonight on Sky Documentaries, revisiting the 2018 Novichok attack that targeted ex-KGB operative Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The film examines the incident's terrifying details and the aftermath that led to the death of British national Dawn Sturgess.
The Attack and Its Victims
In March 2018, the Skripals were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with authorities concluding that the nerve agent had been applied to their front door. Dawn Sturgess, 44, later died after coming into contact with a contaminated perfume bottle discovered seven miles from the original scene, alongside her partner Charlie Rowley.
Recovery and Relocation
After surviving the assassination attempt, Yulia Skripal stated: "We are so lucky to have both survived this attempted assassination. Our recovery has been slow and extremely painful," adding that the assault left a "devastating" mark on their lives. The Skripals were housed in an MI6 safe house for two years before reportedly relocating overseas under new identities, possibly to New Zealand or Australia.
Sergei Skripal reportedly told officials: "I never thought the Russian regime would have tried to murder me in UK, they could've killed me easily when in prison." A judge leading an inquiry last year noted an "overwhelming risk" of a physical attack if their whereabouts were discovered.
Community Aftermath
Former neighbours received a Christmas card from the Skripals in 2019, with one saying: "It's nice to know they are thinking of us, but I don't expect we'll ever see them again." The contaminated Salisbury property was decontaminated and sold to Wiltshire Council for £260,000, eventually purchased by a local resident in 2023 as the community seeks to move forward.
