Critically ill Russian national is 66yo Sergei Skripal, former intel colonel/double agent granted refuge in UK after a 2010 "spy swap" between US & Russia. He and a woman were apparently poisoned in/near Salisbury shopping center. bbc.in/2D2oj7X 
Ex-Russian spy & daughter 'poisoned' in UK sparks fears of another Kremlin-backed hit. Investigators scrambling to identify the chemical used. Skripal feared for his life after his wife died in a car crash & his son was killed in a road incident.. thesun.co.uk/news/5733372/s…
UK warns Kremlin over poisoning of ex-spy Skripal & his daughter. Recalling Litvinenko murder, FM Johnson said UK was "in the lead across the world" in trying to counteract a "host of malign activity" by Russia.
Skripal's brother, son & wife have been killed in the last 2 year.
Skripal's brother, son & wife have been killed in the last 2 year.
Foreign Minister Boris Johnson warned UK would respond robustly if the "malign & disruptive" Kremlin is behind poisoning of ex-spy Skripal and daughter. Also stated UK may not send team to World Cup in Russia this summer. bbc.com/news/uk-433036…
ICYMI A feature of Putin’s Russia is breaking the rules. Russian spy’s poisoning in UK reveals GRU operate abroad like they do internally—aggressively, messy, w/o rules & under the benevolent protection of the Kremlin. This is what Trump is inviting to US. themoscowtimes.com/articles/forme…
>> Chemical weapon—nerve agent like sarin or VX—believed to have poisoned fmr Russian agent Skripal & his daughter in UK on Sunday. Echoes Litvinenko & other brazen Kremlin assassination operations on British soil theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/m… v @lukeharding1968 ^@ToddKolod @PaulNiland
Having identified the chemical toxin–nerve agent–that poisoned Russian spy & daughter, UK treating case as attempted murder. Cop first on scene also now seriously ill. Counter-terrorism experts suspect Russia b/c operation requires lots of capacity in R&D theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/m…
Make no mistake, the assassination attempt in UK on fmr Russian spy & daughter means the brazenness and brutality of this Kremlin knows no bounds or borders. After successful campaigns to weaken Europe (Brexit) & US (Trump), Putin feels free to bring his reign of terror to us.
"The difficult reality is that enormous Russian investments in British firms and real estate have translated into political influence, and no British gov't has been eager to rock the boat over a few mysterious murders." @20committee on Putin's msg & ours…observer.com/2018/03/poison…
Whoa. Thread on possible timing of Russian spy poisoning in UK: Skripal may have been active (not retired) and even a source for Steele Trump-Russia dossier. 🤯
The @Telegraph story on links between #Skripal and Steele/Orbis is wrong. He is NOT connected to Trump-Russia dossier, per @lukeharding1968, a keen reporter who has astutely documented Russia under Putin, both in @Guardian & books–Collusion, Very Expensive Poison, Mafia State.
UPDATE: 21 people treated in connection with chemical weapon attack on Russian spy & daughter in UK. Home Secy Rudd called it 'brazen & reckless…attempted murder in the most cruel & public way' - @CNN cnn.com/2018/03/08/eur…
UK intelligence chiefs are just a few days away from establishing hard proof that poison plot was ordered by Moscow. Theresa May threatens military, economic, diplomatic retaliation if Russia is behind chemical weapon attack on spy & daughter in Salisbury thesun.co.uk/news/5761287/t…
Russian spy poisoning in UK has hallmarks of a Putin hit. It sends a clear message right before his upcoming “re-election/coronation” to his security services first & foremost, lest they be tempted to defect or spy for rivals. yahoo.com/news/spy-poiso…
UK investigation into chemical weapon attack on ex Russian spy & daughter turned to Salisbury cemetery, cordoning off the graves of Skripal’s wife and son, who met untimely deaths in 2012 & 2017. bbc.com/news/uk-433550…
Chemical weapon attack in UK may have affected 500 ppl. Staff at restaurant where poisoned Russian spy, daughter ate told to burn uniforms. Health bosses urge 500 others in restaurant & pub that day to immediately clean their clothes, bags, phones, glasses dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5…
UK eyes new sanctions against Russia after Skripal poisoning attack ft.com/content/3f783f…
In wake of Skripal poisoning, shadow chancellor McDonnell called for fellow Labour MPs not to appear on RT (Russia Today), which launched a dedicated UK channel in 2014, part of the Kremlin's stepped-up propaganda campaigns in the West. RT has criticized 'hysteria' over Skripal.
Sergei #Skripal: Having sufficient evidence to link Moscow, Theresa May set to hit back at Russia as early as today over spy attack. Measures to include publicly blaming Russia for attempted murders, ordering expulsions, new sanctions against Putin regime. thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/s…
⚡️BREAKING: British PM Theresa May: "It is now clear that Mr. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia." (via @CBSNews)
May: "This action has happened against a backdrop of a well-established pattern of Russian state aggression…Crimea, Donbas. Should there be no credible response, we shall conclude…this amounts to an unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom" #Skripal
.@SenatorCardin: British PM May did what leaders do—stand up for her country, its sovereignty, for protection of her citizens. Contrast that to Trump—never giving a clear statement that Russia’s actions are unacceptable and Putin will be held accountable
#Tillerson: Ex-spy's poisoning 'clearly came from Russia' but says he doesn’t know if the Kremlin was aware of the poisoning. He called the attack “a really egregious act…almost beyond comprehension” thehill.com/homenews/admin… #Skripal
ICYMI: Another Russian spy says he was poisoned just like Skripal w/ a chemical weapon, sprayed on him back in 2006. Karpichkov says he's on a Putin hit-list along with Christopher Steele (Trump-Russia dossier author), Bill Browder (Magnitsky sanctions activist) among others.
UK expels 23 diplomats ID'd as undeclared Russian intelligence. May: #Russia gave no explanation but 'sarcasm, contempt and defiance,' demonstrating 'complete disdain' for the gravity of #Salisbury poisoning with a Russian-made military-grade nerve agent
UK PM @theresa_may expels 23 diplomats after #Russia refused to explain how a Russian-made military grade chemical nerve agent poisoned ex-spy & daughter in #Salisbury. Moscow offered only "sarcasm, contempt & defiance." Here's a glimpse of what she means: eastwestblog.net/2018/03/13/rus…
UK FM Boris Johnson: “Overwhelmingly likely” #Putin personally ordered spy poisoning in #Salisbury, first use of nerve agent in Europe since WWII. "That is why we are at odds with Russia.” mirror.co.uk/news/politics/… #Skripal #SalisburyChemicalAttack #Russia
ICYMI Another Putin enemy turns up dead in UK: CounterTerrorism Police Have Launched A Murder Investigation Following The Death Of Russian Businessman Nikolai Glushkov, found strangled at home near London buzzfeed.com/laurasilver/po… #maddow #Skripal
In wake of chemical weapon attack on ex-Russian spy #Skripal & daughter in #Salisbury, UK MPs urge Boris Johnson place on G7 agenda #Magnitsky #sanctions on #Russia—imposing visa bans & asset freezes on human rights abusers. via @telegraph telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/1… h/t @Billbrowder
"A classic Russian strategy…trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation"–#UK FM Boris Johnson says #Russia's denials over #Skripal poisoning in #Salisbury "grow increasingly absurd." via @ABC
"12 yrs after the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in London, they're not fooling anybody anymore. There's scarcely a country [in EU] that has not been affected in recent years by some kind of malign or disruptive Russian behavior"–#UK Johnson on #Russia. #Skripal #Salisbury
#EU expresses “unqualified solidarity" on "shocking" #Skripal case–first use of a military-grade nerve agent in Europe in 70+ yrs. EU partners to support #UK's efforts to "bring those responsible for this crime to justice." #Russia #Salisbury #Novichok consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press…
UK's @BorisJohnson said #Russia's response to #Skripal poisoning as "trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation." I wrote about this Kremlin propaganda strategy as used by the Russian Embassy on twitter, for @StopFakingNews stopfake.org/en/russian-pro…
"If it had been a military-grade substance, it would have killed them instantly." That's Putin, just after winning his rigged election, dismissing as "garbage, drivel, nonsense" UK accusations that Russia poisoned ex-spy @Skripal in #Salisbury.
#Russia continues to deny responsibility for #Skripal poisoning w/ #Novichok nerve agent, adding no such chemical weapon or program exists or existed in Russia. But Russian scientists who worked in the labs have come forward. Impt @EllenBarryNYT report: nytimes.com/2018/03/20/wor…
Boris Johnson, Britain’s Top Diplomat, Compares Putin’s Russia to Nazi Germany - The New York Times nytimes.com/2018/03/21/wor… #Skripal #Salisbury #Novichok
Deny And Distort: A Timeline Of Russia's Changing Story On Skripal Poisoning. Quite remarkable to see all the crazy and contradictory denials in one place. rferl.org/a/timeline-den…
>> Second police offficer in hospital after #Salisbury spy poisoning, from secondary contamination. #Skripal & daughter have been on life support since March 4 #Novichok nerve agent attack. Russia’s FM (Yermakov) again denies responsibility, blames #UK. metro.co.uk/2018/03/22/sec…
Chilling story of the Russian scientist poisoned by the #novichok toxin he helped create. He blew the whistle on the Soviet program after Moscow secretly left their development off chemical weapons treaties with the West. ebx.sh/2DMiTON #Skripal #Salisbury #UK #Russia
#EU recalls Moscow ambassador as leaders point finger at #Russia for attempted murder of fmr Russian spy Sergei #Skripal with nerve agent in #Salisbury #UK. Several consider ejecting Russian diplomats or withdrawing their own national diplomats from Russia politico.eu/article/russia…
#Macron: Poisoning of former Russian spy in Britain an 'Attack on European Sovereignty'—#France President says after #EU leaders back #UK assessment that #Russia was to blame. #Skripal #Salisbury #novichok u.afp.com/oSDF
Macron calls for "coordinated, determined response from the European Union and its member states" to #Russia after #Skripal poisoning. "We see this attack as a serious challenge to our security and as an attack on European sovereignty" yahoo.com/news/macron-sa… #Salisbury #Novichok
NEW: Trump's National Security Council recommends expelling Russian diplomats over ex-spy #Skripal poisoning in #Salisbury #UK with Russian chemical weapon #novichok, following lead of allies Britain, EU, Latvia, etc. (Will he actually punish Russia??) cnn.com/2018/03/23/pol…
Mobile phones (& GPS) of Russian spy Sergei #Skripal and daughter were mysteriously turned off for four hours on day of #Salisbury nerve agent attack. thesun.co.uk/news/5893197/r…
UK police now suspect chemical nerve agent used to poison Sergei #Skripal was smeared on the door handle of his #Salisbury home. Investigators say there's also evidence Russia researched administering poisons via door handles. mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/s…
Shocker: #Russia's information war army deployed after #Skripal poisoning to sow doubt, confusion on UK finding of Kremlin responsibility. Extensive disinformation operation using 2800 Russian propaganda bots unleashed in Britain post #Salisbury attack thetimes.co.uk/article/2-800-…
#Skripal disinformation campaign follows Russia's propaganda playbook: Rapid-fire conspiracy theories–wild & contradictory–deployed in the early stages of a story to sow doubt about Russian culpability. Here's a primer on this tactic by @EuromaidanPress
Another Papadopoulos? Meet Marcus, #Russia "expert" in London. He appears on RT & Russian TV with Kremlin propaganda–of late on #Skripal poisoning. He says "weak" May is using #Salisbury attack for political points, claims Russia is fully cooperative & wants a full investigation.
Russia's propaganda blitz to deflect responsibility for #Skripal poisoning has a new culprit–the US. Who didn't see that coming🙄It's hard to keep up w/ Russian disinformation campaigns b/c they constantly shift blame. The aim is to throw so much mud that truth is literally lost.
Since my thread outlining Russia's propaganda in the week after the #Skripal poison attack, they've stepped up the obfuscation & gaslighting to deflect Kremlin responsibility. But the playbook remains the same. Here it is in 10 tweets. (Expanded here: stopfake.org/en/russian-pro…)
Russia is back gaslighting, threatening and dividing. The Russian Embassy’s latest statement tells US to help London “Calm down,” claiming a circle of US Russophobes are influencing weaker ally UK on #Skripal sanctions. This is to play directly to Trump before he expels diplomats
Reminder from @anneapplebaum that Russian disinformation re #Skripal (like Syria & MH17 atrocities) isn't only for Western audiences. Myriad contradictory & absurd conspiracy theories pollute the conversation & make the truth seem unknowable in Russia too.
washingtonpost.com/opinions/first…
washingtonpost.com/opinions/first…
NEW: US, Europe expel Russian diplomats over #Skripal spy poisoning in UK:
🇺🇸US: 60–48 in DC, 12 at UN, Seattle Russian consulate closed;
🇪🇺EU counties: 29 (🇩🇪4, 🇫🇷4, 🇵🇱4, 🇨🇿3, 🇱🇹3, 🇩🇰2, 🇳🇱2, 🇮🇹2, 🇪🇪1, 🇭🇷1,🇫🇮1,🇱🇻1,🇷🇴1)
🇺🇦Ukraine: 13
🇨🇦Canada: 4
🇺🇸US: 60–48 in DC, 12 at UN, Seattle Russian consulate closed;
🇪🇺EU counties: 29 (🇩🇪4, 🇫🇷4, 🇵🇱4, 🇨🇿3, 🇱🇹3, 🇩🇰2, 🇳🇱2, 🇮🇹2, 🇪🇪1, 🇭🇷1,🇫🇮1,🇱🇻1,🇷🇴1)
🇺🇦Ukraine: 13
🇨🇦Canada: 4
Countries expelling Russian🇷🇺 diplomats over #Skripal poisoning in UK🇬🇧
US🇺🇸60
Ukraine🇺🇦13
Poland🇵🇱4
France🇫🇷4
Germany🇩🇪4
Canada🇨🇦4
Czechia🇨🇿3
Lithuania🇱🇹3
Netherlands🇳🇱2
Italy🇮🇹2
Denmark🇩🇰2
Estonia🇪🇪1
Latvia🇱🇻1
Croatia🇭🇷1
Finland🇫🇮1
Romania🇷🇴1
US🇺🇸60
Ukraine🇺🇦13
Poland🇵🇱4
France🇫🇷4
Germany🇩🇪4
Canada🇨🇦4
Czechia🇨🇿3
Lithuania🇱🇹3
Netherlands🇳🇱2
Italy🇮🇹2
Denmark🇩🇰2
Estonia🇪🇪1
Latvia🇱🇻1
Croatia🇭🇷1
Finland🇫🇮1
Romania🇷🇴1
Australia🇦🇺expels 2 Russian diplomats ID'd as undeclared intelligence officers, making 23 countries that have ordered expulsions in solidarity w/ UK over #Skripal chemical attack in #Salisbury. Add to list in previous tweet: Spain🇪🇸Albania🇦🇱Macedonia🇲🇰Norway🇳🇴Sweden🇸🇪
#UK to Review Visas for 700 Rich Russians. (Under pre-2015 investor visa scheme, investments of 2 million pounds ($2.8 million) or more bought you a UK visa) #Skripal #Salisbury #Russia bloomberg.com/news/articles/… h/t @rprose
"Is #Russia still committed to an international rules-based system?" #UK asks, linking Kremlin #disinformation & denials re Novichok nerve agent production & use in #Salisbury to Russian #propaganda campaigns that deny & cover up Assad's chemical weapons use in #Syria. #Skripal
Good news: Health of Yulia #Skripal—poisoned with her ex-spy father Sergei in #Salisbury with a Russian nerve agent—is improving. cnn.it/2GhtiYY
Russian Embassy responded to #Salisbury attack w/ disdain & disinformation–mocking UK investigation, calling it a conspiracy, denying any responsibility for #Skripal poisoning, indignant to be accused. 24 hrs after Yulia woke up, #Russia demands consular access to her in hospital
The day before Yulia #Skripal woke up, Russia’s deeply cynical propaganda: UK is unable to “ensure safety” of Russians, citing “glaring examples” of dead Russians & how some died—Litvinenko “poisoning,” Berezovsky “suicide,” Glushkov “strangling”… Today they want the antidote.😎
UK police are investigating a Russian "person of interest" on Yulia #Skripal's plane from Moscow over nerve agent attack. The individual returned to Moscow hours after #Salisbury attack. | Daily Mail Online dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5…
#Skripal poisoning: #Russia's bid for joint inquiry fails at #OPCW. UK called this Moscow effort "a perverse diversionary tactic…yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russian authorities must answer" about #Salisbury chemical attack. bbc.com/news/world-eur…
International chemical weapons watchdog at The Hague OPCW voted down Russia's bid for NEW joint investigation into #Skripal poisoning. @UK_OPCW: Russia's proposal is "perverse…a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade [answering] questions." #Salisbury
Russian propaganda aims to sow doubt to mask responsibility. They've now jumped on UK scientist not stating Russia origin of Skripal poison, to grab headline & cast doubt as if it's some exoneration. I wrote on this tactic used abt downing of MH17 airliner eastwestblog.net/2016/05/14/ukr…
Excellent piece on the weight of the evidence in #Skripal spy poisoning, debunking Russia's latest distortion that scientists not ID'g precise source somehow lessens the overall conclusion. All explains why probability language is used in int'l relations & rule of law systems.
Russia's state TV has an "exclusive" recording of a call between Yulia #Skripal & ex-spy's niece Viktoria. Yulia sounds great. Says will soon leave hospital, "all's well, all are alive." Doesn't seem that they're very close. Very perfunctory & brief call.
NEW: #Skripal relative refused entry visa to UK. Viktoria wanted to visit her ex-spy uncle and cousin who she claims merely suffered 'food poisoning' in a #Salisbury pub. news.sky.com/story/salisbur…
Here's my piece on yesterday's UN Security Council meeting where #Russia cried 'fake news' and 'collective psychosis' over #Skripal poison attack in #Salisbury. Russian ambassador even came prepared to wave copy of Alice in Wonderland. stopfake.org/en/at-un-indig… via @StopFakingNews
#Skripal's health improves, raising prospect he'll give vital clues to investigation into nerve agent attack in #Salisbury. #Russia's response has been to distort UK case, calling it 'fake,' refusing even to acknowledge Novichok chemical weapon production. theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/a…
Russia's been waging a fierce dis/information war to discredit UK case. As #Skripal improves, it's worth noting Putin's Kremlin is very effective in coopting Russians to push its propaganda. They even got Litvinenko's dad to flip & embrace his son's assassin Lugovoi 😨 #Salisbury
NEW: @JoaquinCastrotx & #RepMikeTurner introduce legislation to sanction those responsible for #Salisbury UK poison attack on Yulia & Sergei #Skripal, includes #sanctions on #Russia financial institutions to deter future attacks on ex-pat dissidents on behalf of the Russian govt.
#Russia's latest #Salisbury tweets to sow doubt & "more questions" include pic of Skripal's dead guinea pig–dead of dehydration. Meanwhile Ru Amb says he answered ALL UK's questions w/ a blanket denial of involvement, he had the 'honour' to deliver…along w/ Ru demands. #protocol
Russia's propagandists exploit West's institutions, here leveraging media tradition of reporting "both sides" for "balance." Journalists should NEVER accept lies as alternative viewpoints. I've written about this many times, most recently re #Skripal case: stopfake.org/en/at-un-indig…
WOW: Sergei and Yulia #Skripal offered new identities in America with CIA help. They're both well enough to help with UK investigation into #Salisbury nerve agent attack. Also, Yulia has rejected Russian Embassy demands to meet. via @thetimes thetimes.co.uk/article/sergei…
