The individuals responsible for the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury engaged in a complex scheme to transport a lethal nerve agent over a vast distance. Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, whose real identities are Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga, journeyed from Moscow to London carrying the Russian poison known as Novichok. They administered the poison in Salisbury on March 4, 2018, in an effort to eliminate the two former agents. A recent inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who tragically passed away after being exposed to the poison unknowingly through a perfume bottle gifted by her partner, revealed that Vladimir Putin bore “moral responsibility” for the incident.
According to evidence presented in the inquiry, the two perpetrators had strong connections to the GRU, the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and utilized falsified documents to travel across Europe. Documentation examined during the inquiry, overseen by Lord Anthony Hughes of Ombersley, indicated that both Petrov and Boshirov held official positions within the Russian intelligence agency.
The records from the UK’s Counter Terrorism Operations Centre (CTO) highlighted that Boshirov, whose real identity is Anatoliy Chepiga, posed as a systems administrator while actually being a GRU colonel. Investigations revealed discrepancies in his visa applications, where he misrepresented his employment history. For instance, in his 2016 UK visa application, he falsely claimed to work as a Development Director at “Energoforsazh” since 2011, receiving a monthly salary of 300,000 Roubles.
Further findings exposed that Petrov, identified as Alexander Mishkin, was a GRU doctor using various aliases in his travel applications. These applications portrayed him alternately as a manager and a marketer. For instance, his 2016 Netherlands visa application depicted him as a ‘Marketer’ at a company named “Akvatekhnika,” claiming employment since October 2013 with a monthly income of 60,000 Roubles.
The CTO report detailed Petrov’s submission of employment letters from ‘Mitel’ and ‘Di-TekTraid,’ fabricating his roles as a ‘Manager’ to support his visa applications. The report underscored the presence of manipulated bank documents to reinforce the false identities assumed by Petrov and Boshirov, suggesting a deliberate effort to deceive authorities.
Regarding the Dutch visa applications in 2016, the CTO highlighted the provision of falsified letters from Sberbank Russia by Petrov and Boshirov, indicating a coordinated attempt to bolster their misleading personas.
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