THE UNITED STATES has said it will impose new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a “lethal” nerve agent in an attempted assassination in Britain.
The US State Department said the sanctions were in response to “the use of a ‘Novichok’ nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal” — a former Russian double agent — and his daughter Yulia in March.
Both survived the incident.
“The government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.
The new sanctions, details of which were not released, were to take effect following a 15-day Congressional notification period, she said.
Police in England are examining a possible link between the incident in March and the death of Dawn Sturgess, who was also exposed to Novichok, last month.
- © AFP 2018, with reporting by Órla Ryan
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