Russian ‘military intelligence’ behind Novichok attack, says UK’s May

British Prime Minister Theresa May . (AP File Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

LONDON — The two people wanted for the Novichok poisoning were members of Russia’s “military intelligence service” acting on orders from the Russian state, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday.

“Based on a body of intelligence the government has concluded that the two individuals named by the police… are officers of the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU,” she said.

“So this was not a rogue operation. It was almost certainly also approved outside the GRU at a senior level of the Russian state,” the Prime Minister added.  /kga

This combination photo made available by the Metropolitan Police on Wednesday Sept. 5, 2018, shows Alexander Petrov, left, and Ruslan Boshirov. British prosecutors have charged two Russian men, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with the nerve agent poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury. They are charged in absentia with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder and use of the nerve agent Novichok. (Metropolitan Police via AP)

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