Novichok – the board game: Our Guys In Salisbury, where players recreate the movements of GRU agents accused of poisoning Sergei Skripal, is revealed by Russian businessman
- The twisted game allows players to retrace the movements of the GRU agents
- It costs less than £1.50 to purchase the ‘novelty’ board and pieces
- Mikhail Bobyor’s game has hazmat suits and a perfume bottle full of novichok
- The nerve agent poisoned the Skripals and killed Dawn Sturgess last year
A board game which allows players to recreate the movements of the GRU agents accused of poisoning Sergei Skripal has been unveiled by a Russian businessman.
Mikhail Bobyor’s game titled, ‘Our guys in Salisbury’ depicts green hazmat suits and a perfume bottle full of the novichok nerve agent which the Russian agents are believed to have contaminated.
The twisted children’s game has gone on sale in Russia after the Kremlin-backed news agency, RT sent out chocolate Salisbury Cathedrals mocking the attack over Christmas.
Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double-agent and his daughter Yulia were poisoned last March sparking outrage as British politicians blamed Russian agents.
‘Our guys in Salisbury’ allows players to roll the dice and journey from Moscow to the cobbled streets of Salisbury in Wiltshire
Mikhail Bobyor speaks in an interview at the Igroland company offices in Moscow as he unveils his game
The two alleged GRU agents, known as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were pictured in chilling CCTV footage walking around Salisbury last year
Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned by the novichok nerve agent which authorities believe was administered by two Russian GRU agents
Along with the Skripals a police officer was poisoned as well as two civilians, Charlie Rowley and his partner, Dawn Sturgess – Ms Sturgess died as a result.
Former Mayor of Salisbury, Jo Broom told the BBC: ‘I think it’s extremely sad, shows a shocking disregard really for all those that have been involved in the tragedy last year.
‘I think it’s bad taste to do something like this, especially when we’re trying to move on and inject some positivity back into the city and this sort of smacks of a bit of a kick in the teeth really.’
The board game is described as a ‘novelty’ by its designers, the Moscow-based Igroland company, but there is no evidence online that any such game has yet gone on sale.
RT reported: ‘For less than $2 you can now relive the experience of fitness instructors-cum-alleged GRU agents Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov, as they set off from Moscow to the English cathedral city.’
Last month RT sent out chocolate models of Salisbury Cathedral as its corporate Christmas gift, in what appeared to be another publicity stunt in which the Russian government mocked the UK and Salisbury.
The game allows players to travel through European destinations, eventually ending up in London and Salisbury, as Boshirov and Petrov did last March.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious in Salisbury on March 5 – policeman Detective Sargent Nick Bailet was also left critically ill after the attack.
In sickening promotional images handed out by the game’s developers a mother and daughter play as the GRU agents
Employees play ‘Nashi v Salisbury’ (Our guys in Salisbury) board game in the office of Igroland company in Moscow
Employees of the businessman Mikhail Bobyor play the sick game they have created around a table
Dawn Sturgess fell ill and died in hospital in July after coming into contact with a perfume bottle believed to have contained the novichok poison.
Two Russian agents are accused of travelling to the UK to murder Skripal using novichok.
The two men, known as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, are believed to be members of the GRU secret service.