Nerve Agent Attack In Britain.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Vladimir Uglev shows a commendable (or appalling?) lack of concern over FSB hit and runs and has issued another statement.

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/novichok-inventor-amesbury-poisoning-salisbury-russia-vladimir-uglev-a8432876.html

One of the inventors of novichok has told The Independent he “completely understands the panic” of those living in the Salisbury area.

Vladimir Uglev, who worked on the substances for 15 years, said the nerve agent would likely stick around in Salisbury for many years to come. It was “near impossible” to detect, he added; it would be hard to know where it may be lurking.

 

“The substance can absorb itself into any soft surface, whether trees, leather, or park benches,” he said. “From there it can be absorbed onto people’s skin with all the consequences.”

Mr Uglov, now retired, said he agreed with UK intelligence assessments that novichok, the substance he helped create, was used in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, and it seemed safe to assume it was behind the latest incident.

"I am 99 per cent sure it was A-234 – I know it like a mother knows her child,” he said.

I am 99 per cent sure it was A-234 – I know it like a mother knows her child

Vladimir Uglev, inventor of novichok

“And you would assume this second incident is connected with the same substance.”

Invented in the 1980s, A-234 belongs to the novichok family of nerve agents. It is known to be a particularly resilient compound, but its precise stability depends on climatic factors.

In direct sunshine on an even metallic surface, the substance evaporates quickly, says Mr Uglev. In colder, drier conditions, absorbed onto uneven, softer surfaces, it can stick around for a long time. When stored in ampules – sealed glass capsules – its shelf life stretches to decades.

 

“I have never tested this exactly – whether it is 10 or 100 years that it remains lethal,” he said. “But it is a long, long time.”

The scientist also raised the possibility that the second confirmed novichok contamination came about from an unused batch of poison that had been prepared for the assassin.

“It may be secondary contamination from the first batch, or the assassin had several syringes prepared for him, left buried somewhere in the area,” he said. “Perhaps he only used one or two of those batches.”

Amesbury couple were exposed to nerve agent novichok

Mr Uglev dismissed theories that the two incidents might have been perpetrated by lone wolf terrorists, or non-state actors. Even he would be unable to reproduce the substances outside of a properly equipped specialist laboratory, he told The Independent.

“This was a state-level hit,” he said. “You really couldn’t think of a more serious act of terrorism – and one committed against a permanent member of the UN.”

[DB]

Official Foreign Office travel advice for Russia.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia/safety-and-security

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, pretty much as I thought. No advice to not go, just be aware of various things if you do. That only 6000 UK fans seem to have gone seems largely due to their own deductions, than anything the Government told them to do.

 

More fake news.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Novichok 'Unlikely to be out in the open' according to Government scientist. Ive not found the actual source for that, but if I find it, Ill post it up. It may be a quote from Bretton-Gordon.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44733873

[bojan]

...More fake news.

Random football fans being misinformed did not cross your mind?

Not everything is a deliberate "fake news".

[DB]

Bojan, I don't think Stuart meant that to mean deliberate disinformation, but more along the lines of traditional"Chinese Whispers".

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

...More fake news.

Random football fans being misinformed did not cross your mind?

Not everything is a deliberate "fake news".

 

 

They only have to look at the Foreign Office website Bojan. Its the first port of call of anyone going abroad.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Stuart Galbraith

[bojan]

I am certain that any country's average football fan reads all instruction about traveling to other countries. Yeah, sure.

[MiloMorai]

I am certain that any country's average football fan reads all instruction about traveling to other countries. Yeah, sure.

 

That should read any traveler. Was watching Border Security - Australia the other day and when the traveler had his luggage inspected after getting off the plane several kilos of fireworks were found and packed next to some cig lighters. On the ticket explicitly stated 'no fire works'.

[Stuart Galbraith]

I am certain that any country's average football fan reads all instruction about traveling to other countries. Yeah, sure.

 

Then they have no right to complain they were ill informed, do they?

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-44748582

The police operation into the poisoning of a couple with a nerve agent in Salisbury is "expected to take months to complete", officers have said.

Police believe Charlie Rowley, 45, and Dawn Sturgess, 44, were exposed to Novichok after handling an unknown object.

The pair remain in a critical condition in hospital a week after falling ill.

Their symptoms were the same as those of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, poisoned in March.

Police in hazmat suits spent Friday searching John Baker House in Salisbury, the hostel where Ms Sturgess lives.

Officers are also looking through more than 1,300 hours of CCTV footage to identify when the couple came in contact with the nerve agent.

Police said the "unique challenges" surrounding the operation meant "police activity is expected to take weeks and months to complete".

Novichok can be degraded by rainwater and sunlight over time - meaning it was probably discovered by the pair in a contained space, a government source said.

The government blamed the poisoning of the Skripals, both of whom have now left hospital, on the Russian authorities, something Russia denies.

Home secretary Sajid Javid has called on Russia to explain "exactly what has gone on" after another MP, Conservative Tom Tugendhat who chairs the foreign affairs committee, said the latest incident was the result of a "war crime" and "vile act of terror" by Russia.

Russia - which denies involvement in either incident - said the UK was trying to "muddy the waters" and "intimidate its own citizens".

Extensive and painstaking search

By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent

The Amesbury investigation has entered a new phase.

Scientists and chemical weapons experts at Porton Down in Wiltshire are bracing themselves for an influx of countless objects all needing forensic analysis.

Investigators, led by the Met Police's counter-terrorism detectives, are working on the basis that the pair - now critically ill from Novichok poisoning - handled a contaminated item that caught their interest.

They need to find it.

The item - or possibly items - are thought to be something found and touched by the pair, possibly something as innocuous as a perfume bottle or other luxury toiletry.

The search for this "source item" is likely to be extensive, painstaking and could last through the summer.

Who are the victims?

Ms Sturgess is understood to be a mother of three who lives at the Salisbury hostel, which offers supported accommodation.

A close friend of Ms Sturgess's, who also lived at John Baker House, described her as a "loving and caring person".

Mr Rowley's brother Matthew told the BBC: "He's a lovely guy and would do anything for you. He's a sweetheart basically."

What happened to them?

On Saturday, paramedics were called twice to a flat in Muggleton Road in Amesbury - first at 11:00 BST after Ms Sturgess collapsed.

Medics attended again several hours later, after Mr Rowley also fell ill.

A friend of the couple, Sam Hobson, said after Ms Sturgess was taken to hospital, he and Mr Rowley went to a chemist in Amesbury to collect a prescription before going to an event at a nearby Baptist church.

The two men returned to the flat and planned to visit the hospital but Mr Rowley "started feeling really hot and sweaty" and began "acting all funny", Mr Hobson, 29, said.

"He was rocking against the wall and his eyes were red, pinpricked, and he started sweating loads and dribbling, so I had to phone an ambulance for him," said Mr Hobson.

Based on information from a friend and items found at the flat, Wiltshire Police initially thought the pair had fallen ill after using a contaminated batch of heroin or crack cocaine.

But after tests at the government's military research facility at Porton Down, a major incident was declared and it was confirmed they had been exposed to Novichok.

What are the police investigating?

Police do not believe Mr Rowley and Ms Sturgess were victims of a targeted attack, but instead came into contact with the substance in Amesbury or Salisbury.

On Friday night, police revealed more details around the victim's movements.

They said the pair were both at John Baker House at lunchtime on 29 June, before visiting a number of shops in Salisbury and heading to Queen Elizabeth Gardens.

They returned to the hostel at about 16:20 BST before heading to Amesbury by bus at about 22:30.

Police believe they were there until emergency services were called on Saturday.

Five areas have been cordoned off: Muggleton Road, Boots pharmacy and the Baptist church in Amesbury; John Baker House and Queen Elizabeth Gardens in Salisbury.

Mr Javid said the "strong working assumption" was that the pair came into contact with Novichok in a location which had not been cleaned up following the Skripal poisoning.

Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations Neil Basu said that "around 100 detectives" from the Counter Terrorism Policing Network were working on the investigation.

Edited July 7, 2018 by Stuart Galbraith

[Briganza]

 

 

Conveniently right in time when "Skripal's case" political effect fading away and not helping British Gov in their affairs anymore, thousands of British fans taking part in Championship in Russia, and again conveniently close to Porton Down.

 

If you think the British Government is going to scupper our best chance in winning the world cup in 50 years, you know even less about my country then I thought you did.

 

He has yet to explain how the May government needs this Skripal case.

 

Have you not been following the line of thought? It's all about Brexit. The British people need something to divert them from Brexit news and how badly it is going. The fact that this latest incident went 4 days before any one outside Wiltshire knew about it is ignored and for the most part it has been overshadowed by England's very unexpected progress in the WC. Even the thrashing of Australia in the ODI never made it to the front page.

[Stuart Galbraith]

And its interesting how quickly it went off the top feed on the BBC. Currently they are obsessed with Theresa May's Garden Party, where she whipped the cabinet into shape (or alternatively, just whipped) to accept her Brexit proposals. There has been more on the news over the Trump baby balloon to be flown over London than there has about Amesbury.

 

Some more photos of the Fire Brigade and police response to Amesbury. Currently they have fenced off Charlie Rowleys Flat, and have fenced off a Hostal in Amesbury where his girlfriend was staying. The former had much police activity in evidence on the local news, including what looked like Police (presumably SOCO) and what looked like Army personnel (Presumably the NBC Recce Regiment, or whatever they call it these days).

 

https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2627006/hazard-response-teams-arrive-in-amesbury-and-salisbury/

[JWB]

 

 

 

Conveniently right in time when "Skripal's case" political effect fading away and not helping British Gov in their affairs anymore, thousands of British fans taking part in Championship in Russia, and again conveniently close to Porton Down.

 

If you think the British Government is going to scupper our best chance in winning the world cup in 50 years, you know even less about my country then I thought you did.

 

He has yet to explain how the May government needs this Skripal case.

 

Have you not been following the line of thought? It's all about Brexit. The British people need something to divert them from Brexit news and how badly it is going. The fact that this latest incident went 4 days before any one outside Wiltshire knew about it is ignored and for the most part it has been overshadowed by England's very unexpected progress in the WC. Even the thrashing of Australia in the ODI never made it to the front page.

 

No! Profumo is still ongoing!!.

[DB]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44760875

[Simon Tan]

So someone in the UK has a now lethal nerve agent and there is no reason to be concerned?

[Marek Tucan]

Yes there is. There is a reason for that since the Skripal poisoning in fact. A death now of course ups the ante, whether connected directly (same agent) or not.

 

The means of contamination are crucial here - and the exact chemical. But since so far it seems a result of finding anything by chance, the investigation has quite an uphill struggle.

 

I would note the similarity to Litvinenko and radioactive trail left by perpetrators in that case. "Just chuck it out, nobody will notice!"

Edited July 9, 2018 by Marek Tucan

[Stuart Galbraith]

The sad truth is, the best chance we have of finding this stuff just died with the Victim. The odds were always against her, it seems she was a recovering alcoholic (although still on the heavy drinking side) and clearly her kidneys were not in the best shape, which I suppose did for her. Her boyfriend is/was a substance abuser, so the odds are against him as well. The Skripals were lucky, she was 30 years old and in good shape, he in his youth was a Paratrooper that yomped through the mountains of Afghanistan.

 

So the worlds most lethal poison is out there, somewhere in Salisbury, where anyone can pick it up. Nobody knows precisely where it is. We can only hope its in either the hostel or the flat in Amesbury. If not, the nightmare will drag on, the more Salisbury will suffer, and the more the Kremlin will chuckle behind its sleeve at the mayhem its caused.

 

If we had any balls right now, we would pull the plug on the London and Moscow Embassy's. But we wont, because Brexit means Brexit, which is clearly vastly more important than our own citizens being murdered. Meh.

 

 

You are right to cite the Litvinenko murder Marek. They pour pure Polonium down the sink in their hotel room. Which supports the idea that the Kremlin doesn't employ the brightest and the best to do its wet jobs.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Stuart Galbraith

[Stuart Galbraith]

http://news.met.police.uk/news/update-woman-dies-following-exposure-to-nerve-agent-in-amesbury-313621

 

Detectives have launched a murder inquiry after a woman who was exposed to the nerve agent Novichok in Amesbury, Wiltshire, died in hospital this evening, Sunday, 8 July.

She has been formally identified as 44-year-old Dawn Sturgess, from Durrington. Her family has been informed and is receiving support from specially trained family liaison officers.

A post-mortem will be scheduled to take place in due course.

A 45-year-old man who was also taken ill following exposure to the nerve agent remains critically ill in hospital.

The investigation is being led by detectives from the Counter Terrorism Policing Network and around 100 detectives are working round the clock alongside colleagues from Wiltshire police.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK Counter Terrorism policing said: "This is shocking and tragic news. Dawn leaves behind her family, including three children, and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this extremely difficult time.

"The 45-year-old man who fell ill with Dawn remains critically ill in hospital and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.

"This terrible news has only served to strengthen our resolve to identify and bring to justice the person or persons responsible for what I can only describe as an outrageous, reckless and barbaric act.

"Detectives will continue with their painstaking and meticulous work to gather all the available evidence so that we can understand how two citizens came to be exposed with such a deadly substance that tragically cost Dawn her life.

"Dawn's family has asked the media to kindly respect their privacy at this difficult time."

At approximately 10:15hrs on Saturday, 30 June, the South West Ambulance Service was called to a residential address in Amesbury, where Ms Sturgess collapsed. She was subsequently taken hospital.

At around 15:30hrs on the same day, the ambulance service was called back to the same address after the 45-year-old man had fallen ill. He was also taken to hospital and Wiltshire police informed.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down confirmed to us on Wednesday, 4 July that Ms Sturgess and her friend had been exposed to Novichok.

No-one else has presented with the same symptoms linked to this incident.

Further tests of samples from Dawn and the man showed that they were exposed to the nerve agent after touching a contaminated item with their hands.

Detectives are working as quickly and as diligently as possible to identify the source of the contamination, but this has not been established at this time.

There is no evidence that they visited any of the sites that were decontaminated following the attempted murders of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March this year. We are not in a position to say whether the nerve agent was from the same batch that the Skripals were exposed to.

The investigation into the attempted murders of the Skripals is ongoing as detectives continue to assess all the evidence available.

The possibility that the two investigations might be linked is clearly a key line of inquiry for police. However, it is important that the investigation is led by the evidence available and the facts alone.

We are keen to hear from anyone who may have information that could assist with this investigation and would urge anyone to help to contact police by calling 0800 789 321.

[Roman Alymov]

The sad truth is, the best chance we have of finding this stuff just died with the Victim. The odds were always against her, it seems she was a recovering alcoholic (although still on the heavy drinking side) and clearly her kidneys were not in the best shape, which I suppose did for her. Her boyfriend is/was a substance abuser, so the odds are against him as well.

So this people are not exactly productive and popular members of society - and ideal choice as victims\scapegoats, if it is deliberate poisoning by local services? If not deliberate, poisoning happening almost next to major chemical weapons centre with all potential contamination dangers attached....

 

Meanwhile British media are up and running with "Russian nerve agent" (as it was with "Putin's missile")

Edited July 9, 2018 by Roman Alymov

[Stuart Galbraith]

Ok, that one im not going to answer, or im going to say something Ill probably regret.

[Paul G.]

Ok, that one im not going to answer, or im going to say something Ill probably regret.

I'll say either Roman isn't thinking clearly, or he is an agent of the Russian Government

[Marek Tucan]

First you poison people to barbecue their cat, now your local services deliberately poison nonproductive members of society, what's next?

 

Seriously though, I guess best bet is careless disposal from the previous highly targeted case.

[Stuart Galbraith]

The FSB never employs anyone they are going to miss.Dimitri Kovtun, whom was the guy whom helped murder Litvinenko, was possibly the last man to defect from the Soviet Union, only a few months before the Iron Curtain fell. Lugovoi was a chauffeur/bodyguard. This is not mensa grade material. Less Man from Uncle, than Men from Bungle.

[Mistral]

What I find despicable is that the British goverment has not withdrawn the English team from the World cup. Keeping there only legitimizes the Putin regime.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Mistral

[Stuart Galbraith]

Keeping it there and winning is the best symbol we could send. Didnt you see 'Escape to Victory?'

 

Report from Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu (antiterrorist branch IIRC) says that Dawn and her boyfriend had been subjected to a high dose. Which supports the theory, or so he says, they chanced upon the container.