Media Campaign on 3rd Suspect in Skripal Case Ordered by London - Embassy in UK

LONDON (Sputnik) - The Russian Embassy in London told Sputnik on 7 February that media reports on the identification of a third suspect in the Skripal case were orchestrated by the UK security services.

Reports of a third suspect in the case about the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK are disinformation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated, adding that it was inspired by "various anti-Russian conjectures in the UK media".

"We are dealing with another media campaign by the UK security services. They are trying to keep the story of Sergei and Yulia Skripal afloat by portioning leaks from so-called informed sources", the mission said earlier.

British police are continuing to investigate various aspects of the Salisbury incident, including the identification of other potential suspects in the poisoning case, a spokesperson for the London police told Sputnik earlier the same day, after being asked to comment on media reports about an alleged third suspect.

The Daily Telegraph said, citing unnamed sources, that a third Russian suspect in the Salisbury poisoning attack, whom the newspaper claimed was a Russian military intelligence officer using the false name Sergei Fedotov, could still be in the United Kingdom.

READ MORE: UK Military Doctor Helping Rescue Skripal 'Extraordinary Coincidence' — Russia

Commenting on the report, the spokesperson said that a group of investigators was working on the case, including on the identification of other possible suspects in planning or implementation of the Salisbury attack.

According to the newspaper, while Fedotov's role in the poisoning attack remains unclear, one theory is that he brought the toxic substance used in the attempted assassination and handed it to Petrov and Boshirov. The second theory is that Fedotov could have been on a reconnaissance mission, letting his "colleagues" know when Skripal and his daughter had left their house on the day of the poisoning attack. Finally, the news outlet said that it was possible that Fedotov may have orchestrated the poisoning operation from a base in London.

The Skripals were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping centre in the UK city of Salisbury in March last year. The United Kingdom has accused Moscow of orchestrating the attack with what British experts have claimed was the A234 nerve agent. Moscow has denied the allegations and repeatedly pointed to the lack of evidence provided by London.