Vladimir Putin has said it is ‘impossible’ Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent – because they would have died straight away.
Asked who was responsible for their poisoning in Salisbury on March 4, the Russian leader said he wanted an ‘objective’ investigation.
The UK Government has consistently blamed the Russian state for the Novichok attack on the former spy, 66, and his daughter, 33.
But Putin insisted: ‘I’m not an expert on those military grade toxic agents, but if such substance is used, then the victims die immediately… right on the spot.
Vladimir Putin has said it is ‘impossible’ Yulia and Sergei Skripal were posioned with a military-grade nerve agent as they both would have died ‘immediately
‘But this was not the case likely, and Sergei Skripal and his daughter are alive.
‘They are out of hospital now and as we’ve seen recently on TV, his daughter looks fine, so thank god everyone is alive, everyone is well.
‘So to say that a military grade agent was used is not possible and if it is the case then it casts doubt on everything that has been said by the UK from the outset.’
Mr Putin was speaking to the heads of international news agencies, including the Press Association, on the margins of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
This week Yulia Skripal broke her silence over the poisoning, branding it an ‘assassination attempt’, but falling short of blaming Putin directly.
Putin said he was ‘not an expert’ in nerve agents, but if Yulia (pictured) and Sergei Skripal were poisoned with it they would have died ‘right on the spot’
After making an apparent full recovery, she said: ‘The fact that a nerve agent was used to do this is shocking. My life has been turned upside down.’
A two inch scar was visible across her windpipe as she spoke – thought to be from an emergency tracheotomy performed by paramedics battling to save her life.
She was in a coma for 33 days following the near-fatal attack in Salisbury city centre.
At a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week, Putin made a similar statement about Mr Skripal.
He wished him good health but said
The President said: ‘God grant him good health… If a military-grade poison had been used, the man would have died on the spot. Thank God he recovered and that he left (hospital).’
Despite the poisoning, Yulia Skripal says she wants to return to her country’, detailing the harrowing attack in a hand written letter. ‘The fact that a nerve agent was used to do this is shocking,’ Skripal said. ‘My life has been turned upside down’