The Russian president
said he was glad to hear that Sergei Skripal had been released from hospital
and wished him good health.
SOCHI, May 18.
/TASS/. Russia has repeatedly offered its assistance to the United Kingdom in
investigating the Salisbury incident and this offer is still in place, Russian
President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference after his talks with
visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.
"As for the
investigation, we, on our part, have repeatedly offered all possible assistance
to the British partners in this investigation, with no reply as of yet. Our
offer is still in place," he said.
The Russian president
said he was glad to hear that Sergei Skripal had been released from hospital
and wished him good health. "Yes, I learnt from the mass media today that
he had been discharged from hospital. I wish him good health. We are really
very glad," he said.
Former Russian
military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, 66, who had been earlier
sentenced in Russia for spying for the UK, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were
found unconscious on a bench near the Maltings shopping center in Salisbury, UK
on March 4. Police said they had been exposed to a nerve agent.
After the incident,
the British media reported the two had been in critical conditions, with
chances for survival next to zero. However both soon began to recover. Yulia
was released from hospital on April 10 and her father was reportedly discharged
on May 18.
Following the
incident, London claimed that the toxin of Novichok-class had been allegedly
developed in Russia. With that, the UK rushed to accuse Russia of being
involved, while failing to produce any evidence. Moscow refuted the accusations
that it had participated in the incident and points out that neither the Soviet
Union nor Russia have ever done research into that toxic chemical.
Source: ITAR-TASS
19-05-2018
