On Sunday, March 4, a 66-year-old man and his 33-year-old daughter were found unconscious on a bench near a shopping center in Salisbury, England.
This man's name was Sergei Skripal, who once worked for the counterintelligence of the Russian army and then for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006 for the crime of espionage for the benefit of the West.
He was accused of selling the names of dozens of Russian secret agents in Europe to the British for $100,000.
Skripal was pardoned during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev.
2010
He was then able to come to the West and seek asylum in Britain during the exchange of some Russian agents who were caught in America.
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Their sudden poisoning reminds us of the mysterious death of some of Vladimir Putin's opponents.
Alexander Litvinenko, a disgruntled Russian agent, died in 2006 in Britain.
He was poisoned with a radioactive substance.
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Sometime later it became clear that Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by Novichok nerve agent.
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More than 500 people who went to this restaurant and bar in the center of Salisbury in the south of Britain that day were told to wash their clothes and belongings, following the discovery of nerve agent traces in the restaurant and bar where the former Russian spy and his daughter went.
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England considered this to be an action by Russia and announced yesterday that 23 Russian diplomats would be expelled from England.
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Moscow has strongly denied this charge.
Following Britain, 30 countries including a number of EU member states as well as America, Canada, Norway, and Ukraine expelled nearly 150 Russian diplomats from their countries.
The US, in support of England, closed one of the three remaining Russian consulates in this country.
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The Guardian claims that maybe Russians are using these frequent assassinations to discredit and humiliate the British government.
Those who assassinated Skripal in England know that the British government avoided direct confrontation with Russia before and in the case of Litvinenko.
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On September 5, British prosecutors charged Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, two Russian nationals, with four crimes, including the attempted murder of Skripal and British police officer Nika Bailey.
British Prime Minister Theresa May claimed that the suspects are officers of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Russian military.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: Who were charged in regard with Skripal’s attempted murder?
A: Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, two Russian nationals. [f1dfcaaa-9c78-4e22-89df-7253092d6b5f]

Q: According to Theresa May, what were the two suspects?
A: They were officers of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Russian military. [f1dfcaaa-9c78-4e22-89df-7253092d6b5f]

Q: Based on the Guardian’s experts, what was the reason behind Russia’s attempt to kill Skripal?
A: They thought maybe Russians are using these frequent assassinations to discredit and humiliate the British government. [13686ee5-c6a2-42d0-a3f4-3da3b9eee06d]

Q: What was the reaction of Russia against assassination charges?
A: Moscow strongly denied this charge. [f1dfcaaa-9c78-4e22-89df-7253092d6b5f]

Q: What penalties did Britain apply to Russia?
A: Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats. [1cc77928-06a3-491f-a14d-e868e0927561]

Q: Altogether how many Russian diplomats were expelled?
A: 150. [46a8a5c7-04f2-4aa4-ad22-ec9b80713f6e]

Q: Which countries supported Britain against Russia?
A: A number of EU member states as well as America, Canada, Norway, and Ukraine [f1dfcaaa-9c78-4e22-89df-7253092d6b5f]

Q: In order to reduce the risk of exposure to Novichok nerve agent, what precautions were taken?
A: People who had gone to the restaurant and bar where Skripal had gone that day were told to wash their clothes and belongings. [414ae460-9a88-4455-8d7b-471364a873ce]

Q: What poison had been used to kill Sergei Skripal and his daughter?
A: Novichok nerve agent. [bd226a2d-ac5d-4e00-b522-67afd9f27243]

Q: What precedents are there for Skripal poisoning?
A: It reminds us of the mysterious death of some of Vladimir Putin's opponents including Alexander Litvinenko, a disgruntled Russian agent. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57, 414ae460-9a88-4455-8d7b-471364a873ce]

Q: Who was Sergei Skripal?
A: Former counterintelligence agent of Russia. [2fccdc6d-2df4-4358-8813-84725e04c4d9, c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]

Q: Due to what charge he was sentenced to prison?
A: Espionage for the benefit of the West. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]

Q: He was sentenced to how many years in prison?
A: 13 years. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]

Q: What had he done that was considered a crime punishable with prison?
A: He was accused of selling the names of dozens of Russian secret agents in Europe to the British. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]

Q: How much did he get in return for selling the names of Russian secret agents?
A: $100,000. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]

Q: What did Skripal do after being pardoned by the Dmitry Medvedev government?
A: He went to Britain through an exchange of agents between Russia and the US. [c6986655-5f8d-4d6e-835d-10ae9a76eb57]