A similar list, containing 10 questions, was sent to the French Foreign Ministry by the Russian Embassy in Paris

Russia’s Embassy in London has sent a list of 14 questions to the UK Foreign Ministry, demanding that it reveals details of the investigation into the nerve-agent poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

The questions, provided in full below, include a demand to clarify whether samples of the nerve agent А-234 (also known as “Novichok”) have ever been developed in the UK. The embassy’s statement calls the incident that started the recent diplomatic row a “fabricated case against Russia.”

1. Why has Russia been denied the right of consular access to the two Russian citizens, who came to harm on British territory? 2. What specific antidotes and in what form were the victims injected with? How did such antidotes come into the possession of British doctors at the scene of the incident? 3. On what grounds was France involved in technical cooperation in the investigation of the incident, in which Russian citizens were injured? 4. Did the UK notify the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) of France’s involvement in the investigation of the Salisbury incident? 5. What does France have to do with the incident, involving two Russian citizens in the UK? 6. What rules of UK procedural legislation allow for the involvement of a foreign state in an internal investigation? 7. What evidence was handed over to France to be studied and for the investigation to be conducted? 8. Were the French experts present during the sampling of biomaterial from Sergei and Yulia Skripal? 9. Was the study of biomaterials from Sergei and Yulia Skripal conducted by the French experts and, if so, in which specific laboratories? 10. Does the UK have the materials involved in the investigation carried out by France? 11. Have the results of the French investigation been presented to the OPCW Technical Secretariat? 12. Based on what attributes was the alleged “Russian origin” of the substance used in Salisbury established? 13. Does the UK have control samples of the chemical warfare agent, which British representatives refer to as “Novichok”? 14. Have the samples of a chemical warfare agent of the same type as “Novichok” (in accordance to British terminology) or its analogues been developed in the UK?

A similar list, containing 10 questions, was sent to the French Foreign Ministry by the Russian Embassy in Paris. According to the document, Moscow wanted to know on what grounds France was involved in the British investigation into the Skripal poisoning.

It demanded that Paris reveal what kind of evidence was handed over to France by the UK, and also inquired if French experts were in possession of the samples of the nerve agent А-234 (also known as “Novichok”) or biomaterials from Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

Russia also demanded explanations on what made French experts conclude that the substance used in Salisbury attack was nerve agent А-234 and that it was of Russian origins. The final question on the list read: “Have the samples of a chemical warfare agent of this type or its analogues been developed in France and if so, for what purpose?”

Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were discovered on a bench in Salisbury in early March, with the UK claiming a Soviet-designed nerve agent was used against them. Without a proper investigation being carried out, London said it was “highly likely” that Russia was responsible for the attack and introduced sanctions against the country, including the expulsion of Russian diplomats.

Moscow has denied all accusations, decrying them as a “provocation,” and demanded proof from the British side. However, London refused to cooperate with Russia on the case, denying its consular staff access to Russian citizen Yulia Skripal and turning down the request to provide a sample of the toxic substance in question. </s> Vladimir Yermakov, the Russian foreign ministry head of non-proliferation, held a “briefing” for foreign diplomats in Moscow during which he questioned whether the incident, which left former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia, 33, fighting for their lives even involved a nerve agent. But his briefing was interrupted when British diplomat Emma Nottingham said there had been “a barrage of distortion and misinformation” as well as “an unlawful use of force against the United Kingdom.” Mr Yermakov fired back: “Get yourself out of your Russophobia and your island mentality. I feel ashamed for you.” The Russian Foreign Ministry event in Moscow was attended by dozens of foreign diplomats and broadcast on state TV.

But the two sides launched sharp allegations against each other over the nerve agent attack. The attack in Salisbury, England, has plunged ties between London and Moscow into their worst crisis since the Cold War. Britain has blamed Russia for the attack - something Moscow denies - and both have expelled diplomats in the standoff. Russia had organised Wednesday's event to explain its stance and lost little time in alleging that Britain itself had either directly or indirectly orchestrated the attack or had allowed "a terrorist attack" to take place on British soil.

Mr Yermakov added: “Nobody understands what happened in Salisbury. Let's investigate what really happened." However, Ms Nottingham said it was "highly likely" that Moscow stood behind the attempted assassination of the Skripals for four reasons: "The identification of the chemical agent by our world leading scientists, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent ... Russia's record in conducting state-sponsored assassinations ... and our assessment that Russia views defectors as legitimate targets." Many ambassadors including those of Britain, France, Germany and the United States, stayed away from the Moscow event, sending more junior officials instead. US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated solidarity with Britain in a telephone call on Wednesday and "agreed on the need to take action to hold Russia accountable", the White House said. </s> Russia has sent a list of fresh questions to British authorities over the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The Russian embassy published a list of 14 questions on Saturday over the nerve agent attack on 4 March.

The first question asks: "Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory?"

The embassy also repeatedly queries France's "involvement" in the investigation and asks if novichok - the nerve agent the UK says was used in the attack - could have been "researched, developed or produced in the UK".

Russia, which rejects UK accusations of orchestrating the poisoning, had previously released a list of 27 questions about the case, including queries about the condition of the two victims.

The UK Foreign Office said on Saturday it was considering a request from Russia to see Ms Skripal, and that the "rights and wishes of Yulia" will be taken into account as well as international laws.

Ms Skripal's condition is improving after she spent three weeks in a critical condition. Her father remains critical but stable.

Russia has insisted on the right to see the 33-year-old after it emerged she was improving rapidly.

An FCO spokeswoman said: "We are considering requests for consular access in line with our obligations under international and domestic law, including the rights and wishes of Yulia Skripal."

The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter. A number of other countries followed suit, including America, Canada, Australia and more than a dozen EU nations.

The first plane carrying Russian diplomats expelled from the US landed in Moscow on Sunday.

The full list of questions from Russia to the UK:

1. Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory?

2. What specific antidotes were administered to Mr and Ms Skripal, and in which form? How were those antidotes available for the medical staff on the site of the incident?

3. On what grounds has France been involved in technical cooperation with regard to the investigation of an incident in which Russian nationals had suffered?

4. Has the United Kingdom informed the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) of France's involvement in the investigation?

5. How is France relevant to the incident with two Russian nationals in the UK?

6. What British procedural rules allow a foreign state to be involved in a domestic investigation?

7. What evidence has been passed to France for studying and/or for a French investigation?

8. Were French experts present when biological material was taken from Mr and Ms Skripal?

9. Have French experts studied biological material taken from Mr and Ms Skripal, and at which laboratories?

10. Does the UK possess the results of the French investigation?

11. Have the results of the French investigation been passed to the OPCW Technical Secretariat?

12. On the basis of which characteristics ("markers") has it been ascertained that the substance used in Salisbury "originated from Russia"?

13. Does the UK possess reference samples of the military-grade poisonous substance that British representatives identify as "Novichok"?

14. Has the substance identified by British representatives as "Novichok" or analogous substances been researched, developed or produced in the UK? </s> Russia's Embassy in London has sent a list of 14 questions to the UK Foreign Ministry, demanding that it reveals details of the investigation into the nerve-agent poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.The questions , provided in full below, include a demand to clarify whether samples of the nerve agent "Novichok" have ever been developed in the UK. The embassy's statement calls the incident that started the recent diplomatic row a "fabricated case against Russia."Why has Russia been denied the right of consular access to the two Russian citizens, who came to harm on British territory?What specific antidotes and in what form were the victims injected with? How did such antidotes come into the possession of British doctors at the scene of the incident?On what grounds was France involved in technical cooperation in the investigation of the incident, in which Russian citizens were injured?Did the UK notify the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) of France's involvement in the investigation of the Salisbury incident?What does France have to do with the incident, involving two Russian citizens in the UK?What rules of UK procedural legislation allow for the involvement of a foreign state in an internal investigation?What evidence was handed over to France to be studied and for the investigation to be conducted?Were the French experts present during the sampling of biomaterial from Sergei and Yulia Skripal?Was the study of biomaterials from Sergei and Yulia Skripal conducted by the French experts and, if so, in which specific laboratories?Does the UK have the materials involved in the investigation carried out by France?Have the results of the French investigation been presented to the OPCW Technical Secretariat?Based on what attributes was the alleged "Russian origin" of the substance used in Salisbury established?Does the UK have control samples of the chemical warfare agent, which British representatives refer to as "Novichok"?Have the samples of a chemical warfare agent of the same type as "Novichok" (in accordance to British terminology) or its analogues been developed in the UK? </s> The Russian embassy has accused British authorities of “another blatant provocation” after an Aeroflot flight was allegedly searched by Border Force officers at Heathrow.

An embassy official suggested that the jet, which had arrived from Moscow on a scheduled return trip, had been searched in connection with the diplomatic crisis over the Salisbury spy poisoning.

The row intensified on Friday after the Kremlin ordered Britain to reduce the number of diplomats in Moscow down to the same amount that Russia has in London.

It came as ambassadors from more than 20 countries were called into the foreign ministry in Moscow to be told of the latest wave of retaliatory measures being imposed.

As the crisis notched up the Russian embassy in London said British officials had searched an Aeroflot jet that had landed at Heathrow from Moscow.

According to an embassy officer Border Force and customs officers at first tried to search the plane without the crew, although the captain was eventually allowed to be present.

“Today, we have witnessed another blatant provocation by the British authorities,” the official said.

“Border Force and Customs officers have searched the aircraft that was conducting the Aeroflot flights 2582 / 2583, Moscow – London – Moscow. This kind of event is extraordinary.”

The Metropolitan Police, which is coordinating the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, denied it was part of the search.

The Russian embassy said it had complained to British counterparts and called for an explanation.

“We asked certain questions of the Russian state and have still not received adequate answers.”

“At this moment, we have no other explanation but that the incident at Heathrow is in one way or another connected with the hostile policy that the UK government is conducting with regard to Russia,” the official said.

The UK expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia with the nerve agent Novichok.

Laurie Bristow, the UK ambassador in Moscow, was among those called into the foreign ministry in Moscow on Friday.

He told reporters: “It is important to bear in mind why this crisis has arisen in the first place.

“It’s the use of a chemical weapon on the streets of the United Kingdom that has threatened the lives of a number of people in my country.

“We asked certain questions of the Russian state and have still not received adequate answers.”

Russia has told a number of countries – including Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia – they must send home the same number of diplomats as they had ordered to leave their nations.

So far, more than 150 Russian diplomats, some of whom are suspected spies, have been told to return home by the UK’s allies.

The Russian Embassy said on Friday it “insists” on the right to see Ms Skripal, 33, after it emerged on Thursday she was improving rapidly.

She spent three weeks in a critical condition after being exposed to Novichok on March 4.

Ms Skripal’s father remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

On Friday afternoon, the Russian Embassy published a list of 27 questions it claimed it had for the British authorities over the treatment of the Skripals.

The list included demands to know the exact nature of their condition and how they were being treated, and whether British doctors’ approach “helped or harmed” the Skripals.

It also claimed Mr Skripal’s niece had been inquiring after her uncle’s health but that she had been ignored by the Foreign Office, and wondered why no images or footage of the Skripals alive in hospital had been published.

Scotland Yard believes Mr Skripal and his daughter, who was visiting him from Russia, first came into contact with the deadly chemical at his home.

Detailed forensic testing revealed the highest concentration of Novichok was found on the front door.

The vast attempted murder investigation continues to unfold in the Wiltshire city, most recently leading police to cordon off a children’s play area at Montgomery Gardens.

Detectives said traces of the nerve agent had been found at some of the other scenes where investigations had been carried out, but at lower concentrations.

Efforts will now focus in and around the address, and specialist teams will step back from some of the other areas investigated over the past few weeks.

Mr Skripal and his daughter have been patients at Salisbury District Hospital since they were discovered unconscious on a park bench close to The Maltings shopping centre nearly four weeks ago.

Wiltshire Police Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also exposed to the nerve agent, was discharged from the hospital last week. </s> Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

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MOSCOW: Moscow has told Britain it must cut ‘just over 50’ more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia in a worsening standoff over the poisoning of a Russian former spy and his daughter in England, the Russian Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

As relations continued to deteriorate, Moscow also demanded an official explanation for the search of a Russian passenger plane in London on Thursday and said it could reserve the right to take similar action against British airlines in Russia.

More than 100 Russian diplomats have been expelled by various countries, including 23 from Britain itself, to punish the Kremlin over the March 4 attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the historic English city of Salisbury.

London says Moscow was responsible for poisoning the Skripals in the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War Two.

Russia flatly denies that and has cast the allegations as part of an elaborate Western plot to sabotage East-West relations and isolate Moscow.

Russia had already retaliated in kind by ejecting 23 British diplomats.

On Friday, the Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador Laurie Bristow and told him London had one month to further cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain.

It also expelled 59 diplomats from 23 other countries for backing Britain.

A spokeswoman for Britain’s foreign ministry called the Russian move regrettable, and said it was considering the implications of the measures.

It did not say how many diplomatic staff in Russia would be affected, while the British Embassy in Moscow says it does not make staff numbers public.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Reuters the demand meant Britain would have to cut ‘a little over 50’ more of its diplomatic and technical staff in Russia on top of the 23 diplomats who have already gone home.

“We asked for parity. The Brits have 50 diplomats more than the Russians,” Zakharova said yesterday.

When asked if that meant London would now have to cut exactly 50 diplomatic and technical staff, she said: “A little over 50.”

Separately, Russia’s Ministry of Transport demanded Britain explain why an Aeroflot passenger plane was searched at Heathrow airport on Friday, in what the Russian Embassy in London called a ‘blatant provocation’.

Britain’s interior ministry was not immediately available to comment on the plane search. Britain’s foreign office also said it was considering allowing visits under consular access terms to Yulia Skripal, who is recovering in hospital against all expectations and no longer in critical condition.

Russia’s embassy said that it had contacted Viktoria Skripal, Yulia’s cousin, who would like to see her.

The BBC, citing sources, reported on Friday that Yulia was “conscious and talking,” a factor which may influence the investigation of how she and her father were poisoned.

Britain must now decide how it wants to make the cuts to its Russian diplomatic team and may be forced to lay off some Russian support staff as well as sending home fully-fledged diplomats to satisfy Moscow’s demand.

Russia ordered the closure of another British consulate, in St Petersburg, earlier this month in its first retaliatory step.

The poisoning on UK territory has united much of the West in taking action against what it regards as the hostile policies of President Vladimir Putin.

This includes the United States under President Donald Trump, who Putin had hoped would improve ties. — Reuters </s> Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday it would expel one Russian diplomat in response to a nerve agent attack in England that the British government has blamed on Moscow.



Several other countries also expelled Russian diplomats. Russia has denied involvement in the attack. </s> Russia has sent a list of fresh questions to British authorities over the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

The Russian embassy published a list of 14 questions on Saturday over the nerve agent attack on 4 March.

The first question asks: "Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory?"

The embassy also repeatedly queries France's "involvement" in the investigation and asks if novichok - the nerve agent the UK says was used in the attack - could have been "researched, developed or produced in the UK".

Russia, which rejects UK accusations of orchestrating the poisoning, had previously released a list of 27 questions about the case, including queries about the condition of the two victims.

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The UK Foreign Office said on Saturday it was considering a request from Russia to see Ms Skripal, and that the "rights and wishes of Yulia" will be taken into account as well as international laws.

Ms Skripal's condition is improving after she spent three weeks in a critical condition. Her father remains critical but stable.

Image: Yulia Skripal is recovering well

Russia has insisted on the right to see the 33-year-old after it emerged she was improving rapidly.

An FCO spokeswoman said: "We are considering requests for consular access in line with our obligations under international and domestic law, including the rights and wishes of Yulia Skripal."

The UK has expelled 23 Russian diplomats in the wake of the poisoning of Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter. A number of other countries followed suit, including America, Canada, Australia and more than a dozen EU nations.

The first plane carrying Russian diplomats expelled from the US landed in Moscow on Sunday.

Image: Police in protective suits investigate nearby areas

The full list of questions from Russia to the UK:

1. Why has Russia been denied consular access to the two Russian nationals, Sergei and Yulia Skripal, that have become crime victims in the British territory?

2. What specific antidotes were administered to Mr and Ms Skripal, and in which form? How were those antidotes available for the medical staff on the site of the incident?

3. On what grounds has France been involved in technical cooperation with regard to the investigation of an incident in which Russian nationals had suffered?

4. Has the United Kingdom informed the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) of France's involvement in the investigation?

5. How is France relevant to the incident with two Russian nationals in the UK?

6. What British procedural rules allow a foreign state to be involved in a domestic investigation?

7. What evidence has been passed to France for studying and/or for a French investigation?

8. Were French experts present when biological material was taken from Mr and Ms Skripal?

9. Have French experts studied biological material taken from Mr and Ms Skripal, and at which laboratories?

10. Does the UK possess the results of the French investigation?

11. Have the results of the French investigation been passed to the OPCW Technical Secretariat?

12. On the basis of which characteristics ("markers") has it been ascertained that the substance used in Salisbury "originated from Russia"?

13. Does the UK possess reference samples of the military-grade poisonous substance that British representatives identify as "Novichok"?

14. Has the substance identified by British representatives as "Novichok" or analogous substances been researched, developed or produced in the UK? </s> Russia has told the UK it must send home "just over 50" more of its diplomats in a tit-for-tat row following the nerve agent attack.

Russia has already retaliated against Britain for the UK's expulsion of Russian 'intelligence agents' by ejecting 23 British diplomats over the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.

On Friday, the UK's ambassador to Moscow was told London had one month to cut its diplomatic contingent in Russia to the same size as the Russian mission in Britain.

On Saturday, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that meant Britain would have to cut "a little over 50" of its diplomats in Russia.

"We asked for parity. The Brits have 50 diplomats more than the Russians," she said.

It comes after Russia claimed UK authorities searched one of their planes at a London airport in what they called a "blatant provocation".

The Metropolitan Police denied the force had inspected an airbus that had landed at Heathrow having departed from Moscow.

It said: "We are aware of a story circulating on social media. Please be advised that Metropolitan Police are not conducting a search of an Airbus inbound from Moscow at Heathrow."

The Russian Embassy in the UK said in a statement: "Today, we have witnessed another blatant provocation by the British authorities.

"Border Force and Customs officers have searched the aircraft that was conducting the Aeroflot flights 2582 / 2583, Moscow - London - Moscow.

"This kind of event is extraordinary."

They also alleged British officials had tried to search the plane in the absence of the crew.

"After an Embassy officer arrived at the airport, long negotiations were conducted that allowed to ensure the right of the captain to take part in the search," they added.

"After the search was over, the British officers refused to provide any written document that would specify the reasons for their actions, their legal foundation and their outcome.

"Our attempts to get in touch with the Foreign Office in order to clarify the reasons of the inappropriate behaviour of British officials did not bring fruit. The Embassy has sent a diplomatic note demanding the British side to provide explanations of the incident.

"Of course, we will carefully analyse what has happened. At this moment, we have no other explanation but that the incident at Heathrow is in one way or another connected with the hostile policy that the UK government is conducting with regard to Russia."

The news comes as Russia continues to expel other foreign diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to countries across the world sending home Russian diplomats in solidarity with Britain following the nerve agent attack in Salisbury.

Russia faces mass expulsions of its diplomatic staff around the world, with more than 150 sent back from 25 countries, and NATO.

Ambassadors from a number of other nations, including Germany, Italy, Poland and France, were also summoned by Moscow's foreign ministry.

Ms Skripal is understood to be conscious and talking having been poisoned with novichok while visiting her father in Salisbury.

Police are treating the attack as attempted murder.

Mr Skripal, a former Russian spy, has been in a critical condition since 4 March.
The Embassy of Russia in London releases a list of 14 questions over the attack, including a question on possible French involvement.