They have a week to leave. Other decisions were announced to put a distance between the two countries, including fact that the Royal Family would not attend the Fifa World Cup later this year. Former spy Mr Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, 33, remain critically ill in hospital. Det Sgt Nick Bailey who also fell ill responding to the incident is in a serious but stable condition. Sergei Skripal came to the UK in 2010 as part of a “spy swap.”
Theresa May said there was “no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable” for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter. About 180 troops have been deployed to Salisbury to assist with removing vehicles and objects from affected areas, while the Zizzi restaurant and Bishop’s Mill pub where the Skripals visited before falling ill remain closed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Britain of “playing politics” and ignoring an international agreement on chemical weapons. In fact, this is about the ten days allowed to give an answer after receiving a formal request.
