"Unfortunately, I cannot give you any comments because we do not have any information. But, in fact, these accusations "were not long in coming" as we say in Russia," presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, answering reporters' questions on the alleged Russian involvement in the incident which emerged in the Western media.
"Moscow is always open to cooperation," Peskov added, when asked whether Moscow was ready for cooperation in the investigation.
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The Kremlin's statement comes after earlier in the day, Wiltshire Police said that a man and a woman were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center, adding that both people were "in a critical condition in intensive care." The BBC reported, citing its own sources, that the man was Sergei Skripal, a former officer from Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), who'd been accused of espionage on behalf of London, but was granted an asylum in the United Kingdom after a US-Russia spy exchange.
In 2006, Skripal was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in Russia on charges of espionage for the UK intelligence service. In 2010, he was pardoned by then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedevand released in exchange for Russian citizens detained in the West for similar charges. Skripal was granted asylum in the UK.
