The findings of a major public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was killed by a Russian Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, are being released to the public today. This comes more than seven years after the tragic incident that shook the UK and sparked a major international crisis.
The Tragic Incident and the Long Road to Answers
Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three, died in July 2018 after spraying what she believed was perfume onto her wrists. The substance was in fact a discarded bottle of the military-grade nerve agent Novichok, which her partner, Charlie Rowley, had found and given to her as a gift. Ms Sturgess fell ill and passed away three weeks later.
Her death occurred four months after the initial Novichok attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the same city. Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey was also poisoned during the investigation. All three survived, but the events left a permanent scar on the Wiltshire city.
The inquiry, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley, was formally established in March 2022 to replace the inquest into Dawn's death. Public hearings were held in Salisbury and London between October and December 2024.
Scrutiny on Russian Agents and UK Security Failures
The inquiry examined evidence concerning three Russian GRU agents who travelled to the UK under the aliases Alexander Petrov, Ruslan Boshirov, and Sergey Fedotov. UK authorities state their real names are Alexander Mishkin, Anatoliy Chepiga, and Denis Sergeev. Global arrest warrants are active, but Russia denies involvement and refuses extradition.
Mishkin and Chepiga were captured on CCTV in Salisbury, claiming they were tourists visiting the cathedral's famous spire. The inquiry also heard allegations that two other Russians, Ivan Yermakov and Aleksey Lukashev, hacked Yulia Skripal's emails for five years using malware called X-Agent.
Due to security concerns, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, who both live under police protection, could not give live evidence. However, their written statements were submitted. Mr Skripal described hallucinating "Arabic men and women" and waking from a three-week coma, unaware so much time had passed.
Far-Reaching Implications for UK-Russia Relations
The report's publication has significant geopolitical weight. UK-Russia relations are already at a historic low, exacerbated by Vladimir Putin's recent threats of war in Europe and the announcement of British and Norwegian warships hunting Russian submarines in the North Atlantic.
The 2018 attack led to the then-Prime Minister Theresa May expelling 23 Russian diplomats, labelling it an "unlawful use of force." In a coordinated response, allies expelled over 100 Russian intelligence officers from 22 countries.
Dawn Sturgess's parents, Caroline and Stan, have long campaigned for the inquiry. They hope it will scrutinise the actions of both the UK and Russian governments, answer how their daughter's tragedy unfolded, and assess current national security. "Everyone was put in danger," Caroline Sturgess said. "I want the whole country to realise this could have happened in their town."
Charlie Rowley, who spent 20 days in intensive care, hopes the inquiry brings Dawn's family closure but stated true justice will only come when the perpetrators are caught. The findings are being announced at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London and live-streamed globally.
