WHODUNNIT

Report: Britain Identifies Russians Suspected of Novichok Attack

Mystery a step closer to being solved.

British police are reported to have identified the Russian suspects who they believe were responsible for the Novichok nerve-agent attacks in Salisbury, England, that left one person dead and three critically ill. The attempted murders of former spy Sergei Skirpal and his daughter, Yulia, happened in March, then two others—Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess—are believed to have come into contact with the same batch of deadly nerve agent. Sturgess died from her poisoning this month. An unnamed source with knowledge of the case told the Press Association: “Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the Novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time. They are sure [the suspects] are Russian.” The source added that investigators are working to the theory that the substance was in a discarded perfume bottle found by Rowley and Sturgess in a park or somewhere in Salisbury city center and Sturgess sprayed Novichok straight on to her skin. The Metropolitan Police, who are leading the investigation, declined to comment.