ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

**Poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal**

The poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia occurred on March 4, 2018, in Salisbury, England. Sergei Skripal, a former GRU officer who worked for the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) from 1995 until his arrest in Moscow in December 2004, was poisoned along with his daughter Yulia, a Russian citizen.

**Background**

Sergei Skripal was an officer in the General Intelligence Directorate of Russia and had dual citizenship of Russia and Britain. He was convicted of treason by a Russian court in 2006 and served 13 years in a penal colony. In 2010, he was exchanged as part of a spy exchange program between Russia and the UK.

**Incident**

On March 4, 2018, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a nerve agent while visiting Salisbury. They were hospitalized unconscious, along with Nick Bailey, a police officer who was first to inspect their home. In total, 46 people sought medical attention after the attack, but no one required long-term treatment.

**Recovery**

Yulia Skripal regained consciousness and began speaking on March 29, 2018. She was discharged from hospital on April 10, 2018, and transferred to a hospital at a British military base. Sergei Skripal was released from the hospital on May 18, 2018.

**Aftermath**

On July 4, 2018, it became known that another case of poisoning with a substance of the Novichok class had occurred in Amesbury, a town located 11 km north of Salisbury. This incident raised concerns about the continued presence of such substances in the UK.

Note: I've kept the original dates and details from both sources to ensure accuracy and consistency.