UK Inquiry Finds Putin 'Morally Responsible' For 2018 Novichok Death — London Summons Ambassador, Sanctions GRU

UK Inquiry Finds Putin 'Morally Responsible' For 2018 Novichok Death

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on Russia's military intelligence service (the GRU) and summoned the Russian ambassador after a public inquiry concluded that President Vladimir Putin bore "moral responsibility" for the death of Dawn Sturgess in 2018.

What Happened

Dawn Sturgess, 44, a mother of three, died after spraying what she believed to be perfume from a discarded Nina Ricci bottle that in fact contained the nerve agent Novichok. The bottle had been left in Salisbury following a failed assassination attempt on former double agent Sergei Skripal in March 2018.

Inquiry Findings

The inquiry concluded the assassination attempt "must have been authorised at the highest level, by President Putin," and that the Russian leader therefore carries "moral responsibility" for Sturgess's death four months later. The report described the operation as intended to serve as a public demonstration of Russian power and said it showed "considerable determination."

"The conduct of Petrov and Boshirov, their GRU superiors, and those who authorised the mission up to and including, as I have found, President Putin, was astonishingly reckless," said inquiry chair Anthony Hughes.

Official Reaction

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This report is clear: moral responsibility lies with Putin." London announced it had summoned Russia's ambassador and that it would sanction the GRU "in its entirety."

The Kremlin dismissed the measures. Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state media that Russia "does not recognise illegitimate sanctions which are imposed under trumped-up pretexts... and reserves the right to retaliate."

Background And Impact

Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped unconscious on a Salisbury park bench in March 2018 after Novichok had been applied to Sergei Skripal's front-door handle. They survived intensive medical treatment and remain under protection. The inquiry named two suspects, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, saying they brought a bottle containing "Novichok made in Russia" to Salisbury and were believed to be GRU operatives.

The public inquiry heard evidence that the bottle contained enough Novichok to poison "thousands" and that the risk of harming bystanders beyond the intended target, Sergei Skripal, was entirely foreseeable. While the inquiry identified some shortcomings in how Skripal's post-exchange security was handled, it concluded that British intelligence's assessment that there was not a high risk of assassination was not unreasonable at the time.

Family Response

Sturgess's family, represented by lawyer Michael Mansfield, said they found the report "not satisfactory," arguing it left unanswered questions about whether the death could have been prevented.

Wider Context

The 2018 attack prompted one of the largest coordinated expulsions of diplomats between Western countries and Russia and triggered limited Western sanctions at the time. Relations between London and Moscow remain deeply strained, particularly in the context of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Note: The inquiry's findings are based on the available public evidence and the judgment of the inquiry chair. London has taken diplomatic and sanctions steps in response to the report; Moscow has signalled it will not accept the measures.