MOSCOW: A Russian scientist informed state media Tuesday he worked on an legitimate programme to supply the nerve agent Britain says used to be used towards ex-spy Sergei Skripal, contradicting Moscow's claims it never advanced Novichok.
Leonid Rink, who informed RIA Novosti he worked on a state-backed programme as much as the early 1990s, added that the former double agent and his daughter could be useless had Moscow been focused on his poisoning.
"They are still alive. That means that either it was not the Novichok system at all, or it was badly concocted, carelessly applied," he mentioned within the interview.
"Or straight after the application, the English used an antidote, in which case they would have had to have known exactly what the poison was," he mentioned.
Rink mentioned he worked at a state laboratory within the closed the city of Shikhan for 27 years, where the development of Novichok shaped the root of his doctoral dissertation.
"A large group of specialists in Shikhan and Moscow worked on 'Novichok'," he mentioned.
Deputy overseas minister Sergei Ryabkov closing week mentioned Moscow never had any programmes to develop the chemical weapon.
"I want to state with all possible certainty that the Soviet Union or Russia had no programmes to develop a toxic agent called Novichok," he mentioned.
The overseas ministry informed AFP on Tuesday this remained its place.
London and its allies say Russia used to be behind the tried assassination within the English city of Salisbury, but Moscow has angrily denied any involvement.
Russian politicians have suggested the poisoning used to be part of a Western plot to whip up anti-Russian sentiment ahead of the presidential election at the weekend or the World Cup.
Leonid Rink, who informed RIA Novosti he worked on a state-backed programme as much as the early 1990s, added that the former double agent and his daughter could be useless had Moscow been focused on his poisoning.
"They are still alive. That means that either it was not the Novichok system at all, or it was badly concocted, carelessly applied," he mentioned within the interview.
"Or straight after the application, the English used an antidote, in which case they would have had to have known exactly what the poison was," he mentioned.
Rink mentioned he worked at a state laboratory within the closed the city of Shikhan for 27 years, where the development of Novichok shaped the root of his doctoral dissertation.
"A large group of specialists in Shikhan and Moscow worked on 'Novichok'," he mentioned.
Deputy overseas minister Sergei Ryabkov closing week mentioned Moscow never had any programmes to develop the chemical weapon.
"I want to state with all possible certainty that the Soviet Union or Russia had no programmes to develop a toxic agent called Novichok," he mentioned.
The overseas ministry informed AFP on Tuesday this remained its place.
London and its allies say Russia used to be behind the tried assassination within the English city of Salisbury, but Moscow has angrily denied any involvement.
Russian politicians have suggested the poisoning used to be part of a Western plot to whip up anti-Russian sentiment ahead of the presidential election at the weekend or the World Cup.
Russian chemist says worked on Novichok, despite official denial
![Russian chemist says worked on Novichok, despite official denial]()
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March 20, 2018
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