Britain has unveiled a new round of sanctions against Russia on Thursday, targeting the GRU military intelligence agency and summoning Moscow's ambassador after a public inquiry concluded that President Vladimir Putin authorised the 2018 Novichok attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal.
"Astonishingly reckless" operation
The measures come hours after the inquiry found that the poisoning, which later led to the death of British citizen Dawn Sturgess, was an "astonishingly reckless" operation carried out by GRU officers acting with Kremlin approval.
Alongside sanctioning the entire GRU, the United Kingdom has also blacklisted three additional Russian intelligence officers accused of orchestrating hostile activity across Europe, including a plot to target Ukrainian civilians.
The Russian embassy did not immediately comment. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed accusations surrounding the Skripal poisoning as politically driven. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the findings underscore "the Kremlin's disregard for innocent lives."