Theresa May Calls Chemical Poisoning of Two More British Citizens 'Deeply Concerning'

The Prime Minister of the UK described the poisoning of two more British citizens with a nerve agent as 'deeply concerning,' while the country's security minister called on Russia to explain the nerve agent known as Novichok; simultaneously, Russia accused London of 'political games.' A British man and woman were transferred to the hospital unconscious last Saturday in the residential area of Amesbury, and the head of the UK’s counter-terrorism organization announced on Thursday, July 5, that the couple had been poisoned with Novichok, a military-grade nerve agent. Novichok is the same toxin that nearly killed former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter four months ago. Furthermore, Amesbury, the area where the two new poisonings occurred, is only 11 kilometers from the site of the Skripal poisoning. Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister, stated on Thursday in Berlin during a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 'This week, two more people in the UK have been contaminated with the nerve agent Novichok. It is clear that this is deeply concerning.' Ms. May also emphasized that the police would not overlook any clues in their investigation. On the other hand, Ben Wallace, the UK security minister, referred to the March incident, the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, stating that the Russian government could 'make amends for this wrongdoing' by explaining exactly what happened and 'what they did.' The poisoning of these two individuals has further strained relations between Europe and Russia. However, the Kremlin has accused Theresa May's government of 'political games' regarding the discovery of two new cases of nerve agent poisoning in the UK. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated on Thursday that the UK government should stop 'conspiring and playing with nerve agents' and 'not obstruct the path of joint investigations.' Nevertheless, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, described the new incident as 'very concerning.' According to British officials, the condition of the couple hospitalized in Amesbury is serious. They were located 11 kilometers from the site of the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal and his daughter and were transferred to the same hospital where the previous two were treated. This hospital is reportedly the only medical center with the necessary experience to treat this type of chemical poisoning. Neil Basu, the head of the UK’s counter-terrorism organization, noted that tests indicate the two Amesbury citizens were also poisoned with Novichok, but it is still not possible to definitively say whether the source of both poisonings was the same, although this possibility is one of the subjects of the investigation. According to this security official, there is nothing in the records of the 45-year-old man and the 44-year-old woman that suggests they were targeted for any particular reason, and it is still unclear how the two were exposed to this toxic substance. Novichok, which is known as a group of toxic agents, was produced by the Soviet Union in the late Cold War but was never used in warfare. In Russian, Novichok means 'newcomer' or 'new series.' Unlike other toxic and nerve agents that are in liquid or vapor form, Novichok is in powder form. This nerve agent is likely composed of two non-toxic substances that, when combined, become a nerve agent. According to Gary Stephens, a pharmacology expert at UK universities, this substance is more dangerous than sarin and VX and is harder to detect. According to this scientist, one of the main reasons for producing Novichok is that its components are not banned, and the precursor chemicals used to produce it are not dangerous for carriers. Mr. Skripal and his daughter were both successfully treated, so it is likely that the recently poisoned British couple will also regain their health. On the other hand, one of the possibilities raised in the media is that the two new individuals may have been poisoned with remnants of the substance used four months ago in the area. According to AFP, Novichok is very resilient, remains in the environment for a long time, and does not evaporate or decompose quickly.