A paratrooper brother of the poisoned Russian spy died in mysterious circumstances almost two years to the day before Sergei Skripal was targeted in Salisbury, MailOnline can reveal.
Valery Skripal died aged 68 after a military career serving in the elite Russian airborne troops. Exclusive pictures show that he suffered extreme weight loss and became painfully thin in the months before his death.
It comes after reports that Scotland Yard will investigate the deaths of the spy’s son, Alexander, in 2017, and his wife, Liudmila, in 2012, amid fears that the entire family was targeted by Russia’s feared state assassins.
School photograph of Yulia Skripal in the academic year 1992-3, left, and as an adult, right
Valery Skripal, left, who was in the paratroop regiment, with his wife Svetlana, right
Valery Skripal in the months leading up to his death, showing severe and sudden weight loss
Valery Skripal, left, on military drills in an unknown location thought to be in Russia
Viktor Skripal, soldier father of Sergei, who was found ‘poisoned’ on Sunday, and his brother Valery, a paratrooper on his knee as a baby. Valery died two years ago after sudden weight loss
Valery Skripal, brother of the Russian spy found ‘poisoned’ in Salisbury, as a young man
Valery Skripal, centre, in his later life posing with some younger soldiers during military drills
Valery Skripal, who left behind a wife, Svetlana, 65, and daughter Elena, passed away on March 6th 2016, two years ago almost to the day that the MI6 double-agent, 66, was mysteriously taken in in Salisbury along with his daughter Yulia, 33, on Sunday.
It adds to the picture of a proud military family suddenly cut down within the space of a few years — with the tragedy arriving on British soil as Mr Skripal and his daughter were apparently targeted in Salisbury.
The exclusive set of photographs also includes a school photograph of the spy’s daughter, Yulia, who is fighting for her life in hospital, and a poignant portrait of the spy’s father Viktor, who also served as a Russian soldier in Lithuania, sitting with Valery as a baby on his knee.
Although Sergei Skripal’s son Alexander died in St Petersburg last summer at the age of 43, his body was taken to Britain for burial in the same cemetery as his mother.
When MailOnline visited, the graves appeared well-tended and adorned with bright artificial flowers and trinkets.
Alexander reportedly died from liver disease but mystery surrounds the circumstances of his death. The spy’s wife, Liudmila, a housewife, died aged 59 from a disseminated endometrial carcinoma on 23 October 2012, in Salisbury.
Valery’s widow, who lives in Kazakhstan, has not commented on his death other than to post yesterday: ‘Today is the day to remember Valery. It’s been two years since he passed away’. Among the comments, one of her friends desperately asked for news of ‘poisoned’ Sergei and Yulia.
St Petersburg’s respected Fontanka news agency said it could find no traces of Alexander dying in the city, adding to the mystery surrounding his demise.
It reported: ‘According to our research, Alexander Skripal did buy tickets on the Sapsan (high speed) train from Moscow, arriving on 13 July and departing on 15 July.
‘He was with a 49-year-old female called Anna. It is not clear if the couple left St Petersburg on the planned date, as the tickets were bought about one and a half months ahead of the trip.’
Valery Skripal with his wife Svetlana as he lost weight before he died two years ago
Valery Skripal in military uniform examining a weapon before the illness that led to his death
Valery Skripal as a young man posing in his military uniform, where he served in an elite unit
Valery Skripal posing in his uniform and a parachute during exercises with the paratroopers
Valery Skripal collects his parachute after a jump when serving with the paratroopers
Valery Skripal in his military uniform holding his weapon as a young man from an army family
It is understood Alexander died several days after his planned trip to St Petersburg, which was described as a holiday. The Fontanka report added: ‘As of now, we failed to find traces of him dying in St Petersburg.
‘And according to our information, Alexander had planned a trip to see his father in England in August 2017. He bought a ticket for a plane leaving early morning on August 8, 2017.’
Liudmila’s death was reported to Wiltshire Council’s register office in 2012 by her daughter Yulia, who told staff that her father was a retired local government planning officer.
The apparent poisoning has triggered a diplomatic row and prompted crisis talks in Whitehall as the high-profile investigation enters a fourth day.
Scotland Yard said detectives were ‘keeping an open mind as to what happened’, and that the incident had not been declared a terrorist incident – adding that it would not ‘provide a running commentary’ on the investigation.
But it has forced the Government into calling a meeting of its emergency committee Cobra this morning, to be chaired by Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
The grave of Alexander Skripal, who died in mysterious circumstances in Russia
The grave of Liudmila Skripal who died of cancer in Britain in 2012 and was buried in Salisbury
A screen-grab from CCTV footage showing Sergei Skripal before he was ‘poisoned’
Sergei Skripal, left, as a younger man in uniform, and right after he was arrested in Russia
The Zizzi restaurant in Salisbury where the alleged poisoning may have taken place
It comes as relations between the UK and the Kremlin soured after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson went on the offensive in the House of Commons.
Mr Skripal was convicted in 2006 of passing state secrets to MI6 before being given refuge in the UK as part of a spy swap.
The former colonel in Russian military intelligence, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison, was among four convicts who were given pardons and one of two sent to Britain in 2010 in a deal that was said at the time to be the largest exchange since the Cold War.
He was found along with his daughter on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury after police were called by a concerned member of the public at around 4.15pm on Sunday.
The pair did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital, where they are being treated in intensive care for ‘suspected exposure to an unknown substance’.
Officers subsequently ‘secured’ a number of scenes – including the Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street and the Bishop’s Mill pub in The Maltings.
At least two people left a contamination tent inside the cordon wearing protective suits and gas masks last night. People could also be seen inside Zizzi’s restaurant wearing protective gear and masks.
The carefully tended British graves of Russian spy’s loved ones: Detectives will probe deaths of double-agent’s wife and son, 44, as it’s revealed his brother also died two years ago
Police will investigate the deaths of the wife and son of a Russian double agent who was allegedly poisoned along with his daughter, it was claimed today.
Sergei Skripal suffered a triple family tragedy in five years when his wife Lyudmila died aged 59 in 2012, before his older brother passed away in Russia in 2016.
His son Alexandr then died in St Petersburg aged 43 last year – and relatives had held suspicions since the deaths that they were in mysterious circumstances.
The graves of the former spy’s wife and son remain well-tended, with fresh flowers in both.
Now, the deaths of his wife and son will be considered by Scotland Yard as they investigate the possible poisoning of Mr Skripal, according to The Times.
Police are to investigate the deaths of Mr Skripal’s wife, Liudmila, who is thought to have died from cancer in 2012
Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain fighting for their lives in hospital after being exposed to a mystery substance on Sunday in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
And the mystery over Alexandr’s death deepened today as St Petersburg’s respected Fontanka news agency said it can find no traces of him dying in the city.
It reported: ‘According to our research, Alexander Skripal did buy tickets on the Sapsan (high speed) train from Moscow, arriving on 13 July and departing on 15 July.
‘He was with a 49-year-old female called Anna. It is not clear if the couple left St Petersburg on the planned date, as the tickets were bought about one and a half months ahead of the trip.’
It is understood Alexander died several days after his planned trip to St Petersburg, which was described as a holiday. The Fontanka report added: ‘As of now, we failed to find traces of him dying in St Petersburg.
‘And according to our information, Alexander had planned a trip to see his father in England in August 2017. He bought a ticket for a plane leaving early morning on August 8, 2017.’
Mr Skripal’s son Alexander also died while in Russia last year. The family’s cleaner said he died of liver problems, but some family members are said to have had suspicions
Lyudmila died on October 23, 2012, with her death certificate recording the cause of death as cancer – specifically disseminated endometrial carcinoma.
Yulia reported the death to Wiltshire Council’s register office, but also told staff that her father was a retired local government planning officer.
As for Mr Skripal’s son, he is said to have been killed in a car crash in St Petersburg last year – but the family’s cleaner said he had actually died from liver problems.
The woman who cleans Mr Skripal’s home in Salisbury and asked not to be named, said yesterday: ‘I saw reports on the news that his wife had died in a car crash.
‘That is not true, she died of cancer that she had when they moved to England. And his son died of liver problems, so I don’t know where the car crash idea came from.’
The BBC claimed Alexandr died on holiday in Russia with his girlfriend after being taken to hospital with liver failure, and that his family was suspicious about his death.
Meanwhile confusion surrounded Lyudmila’s cause of death when neighbour Blake Stephens, 21, suggested she had actually ‘died in a car accident a while ago’.
Police Community Support Officers stand outside the Salisbury home of Mr Skripal yesterday
The apparent poisoning has triggered a diplomatic row and prompted crisis talks in Whitehall as the high-profile investigation enters a fourth day.
Scotland Yard said detectives were ‘keeping an open mind as to what happened’, and that the incident had not been declared a terrorist incident – adding that it would not ‘provide a running commentary’ on the investigation.
But it has forced the Government into calling a meeting of its emergency committee Cobra this morning, to be chaired by Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
It comes as relations between the UK and the Kremlin soured after Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson went on the offensive in the House of Commons.
Mr Skripal was convicted in 2006 of passing state secrets to MI6 before being given refuge in the UK as part of a spy swap.
Investigators next to a police tent in Salisbury near where Mr Skripal was found critically ill
The former colonel in Russian military intelligence, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison, was among four convicts who were given pardons and one of two sent to Britain in 2010 in a deal that was said at the time to be the largest exchange since the Cold War.
He was found along with his daughter on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury after police were called by a concerned member of the public at around 4.15pm on Sunday.
The pair did not have any visible injuries and were taken to Salisbury District Hospital, where they are being treated in intensive care for ‘suspected exposure to an unknown substance’.
Officers subsequently ‘secured’ a number of scenes – including the Zizzi restaurant on Castle Street and the Bishop’s Mill pub in The Maltings.
At least two people left a contamination tent inside the cordon wearing protective suits and gas masks last night. People could also be seen inside Zizzi’s restaurant wearing protective gear and masks.