The European Union has imposed sanctions on four senior officials from Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, in connection with the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury. Those affected include the head of the GRU, his deputy, and two agents believed to have carried out the attack.
The sanctions, which include travel bans and asset freezes across the EU, also prevent any person or company in the bloc from providing financial support to those listed. This marks the first time the EU has used powers created in October last year to sanction individuals linked to the use of chemical weapons.
The two agents, Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, were charged by the UK with attempted murder. They allegedly possessed, transported and used the nerve agent during the weekend of 4 March 2018. Igor Olegovich Kostyukov, the head of the GRU, and Vladimir Stepanovich Alexseyev, the deputy head, are accused of responsibility for the poisoning due to their senior leadership roles.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia survived the attack, though they were severely poisoned. However, Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with the nerve agent, which had been discarded in a perfume box found by her partner, Charlie Rowley. He also fell ill but recovered.
The EU listed the agents' real names, dates and places of birth. Moscow has consistently denied involvement and dismissed the accusations. In an interview on state television, the two agents claimed they were tourists visiting the cathedral, a story widely mocked as implausible. Russia's foreign ministry has threatened retaliation, calling the sanctions an 'unfriendly action' and accusing the UK of pursuing domestic political goals amid Brexit.
Alongside the GRU officials, the EU also sanctioned five people from a Syrian institute, the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which has been held responsible for damaging chemical weapons.
