Putin Must Have Authorized Novichok Poisoning in Salisbury, UK Inquiry Finds

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Lizzie DeardenDecember 4, 2025 at 04:52 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A UK inquiry concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely authorized the 2018 Novichok poisoning attack in Salisbury, England, which resulted in the death of Dawn Sturgess. Sturgess died after unknowingly applying the nerve agent, which had been disguised as perfume and discarded by Russian military intelligence agents following their failed assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. The inquiry's chair stated that the operation "must have been authorized at the highest level" and was intended as a display of Russian power. The report found a direct causal link between Sturgess's death and the actions of the Russian agents, their superiors, and Putin, holding them morally responsible. The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in the attack.

Keywords

novichok poisoning 100% putin 90% salisbury 80% nerve agent attack 80% dawn sturgess 70% assassination attempt 70% russian intelligence 60% moral responsibility 50% sergei skripal 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative
Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source
New York Times - World
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.30)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Salisbury

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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