The scandal with the poisoning of the former GRU agent Sergei Skripal is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, absolutely innocent creatures suffered because of the diplomatic war between the UK and Russia.

Remember that two dead guinea pigs and a black Persian cat in a critical condition were found in the ex-spy's home. The cat was taken to the Porton Down chemical weapons lab (not to a veterinary clinic which would be more expected). In the laboratory, chemists made a weird diagnosis, which they described as a "distressed state". The cat was euthanised. Its body, as well as those of the two guinea pigs, were immediately incinerated which was confirmed by the British government.

Shortly after the Russian Embassy in London posed the question on what happened to the animals that Sergey Skripal kept in his Salisbury house, the British side, first in an unnamed leak and then as a DEFRA comment, said that "when a vet was able to access the property, two guinea pigs had sadly died. A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering".

This is, however, the sort of answer that brings about still more questions. Regarding the dead guinea pigs and the malnourished cat, it is said unofficially that they were taken to the Porton Down facility and incinerated there. But it remains unclear if their remains were ever tested for toxic substances, which would constitute useful evidence, and if not, why such a decision was made.

The fact that the animals were locked inside the house for several days suggests that the police did not access the alleged crime scene, which would be very unusual for such a high profile investigation. Such treatment of pets is also hardly consistent with UK laws on animal cruelty and comes as a blatant disregard for Skripal's rights as the owner and companion of the animals.

Overall, it is difficult to avoid the impression that the animals have been disposed of as an inconvenient piece of evidence. It is also to be noted that, according to Skripal's niece Viktoria, there were two cats, not one, in the house - and the whereabouts of the second one is still unknown.

Nevertheless, the way how the UK police treat animals is absolutely awful and unacceptable. Moreover, even their bodies could cast some light on this case. Instead, we have even more questions than before.

Firstly, why were the pets sealed in the house with no food and water? How is it possible to imagine such a mockery and careless attitude towards animals? British officials must be held accountable for their decision to leave the pets inside the sealed-up house without any nutrition. In fact, their actions can be classified as animal abuse, which resulted in their death.

Secondly, no matter how cynical this may sound, any living organism remained at the place where the potential poisoning occurred could indirectly help the investigation process. You don't even need to be an expert in chemistry to understand it. The use of such a potent substance as Novichok agent might have affected the pets as well. Unfortunately, we will never know this as their bodies were eliminated. No one even asked for their owners' permission for that.

It seems like the British side is trying to cover up the tracks and destroy all the evidence. In Hollywood movies, criminals act like this when a detective tells them their version is not valid. Draw your own conclusions.

But why was the fate of Skripal's pets tragic?

Actually, there are 6 potential answers:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The death of any animal is a tragedy. 
2.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Any of the bad actors described above could have actually weaponised the pets using Porton Down technology - this demonstrates the ruthlessness of the British Secret Services and their involvement with Animal Testing - such a pointless and anti-human waste of life. 
3.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The 3rd is a tragedy, because it was nearly a good news story: the escape to freedom of animals previously used in weapons testing: Apparently Porton Down uses Guinea Pigs to trial its chemical weaponry. Porton Down, as we now know, is only a few miles from Salisbury. Guinea pigs escaped from the laboratory (or from the nearby chemical weapons exercises, where perhaps they were being kept out in the field in the back of a truck - maybe to go in - like they used to use canaries in coal mines) and infected the Skripals. 
4.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The fourth - because the Skripals were unable to speak when they were found, they couldn't inform the police about the pets at home, so they were not immediately rescued. The operatives who were sent into the home were not pet lovers, had not been trained in pet welfare and didn't have the pets at the top of their mind when investigating the house. No one thought to mention the welfare of the pets to a senior officer, everyone just assumed they would be OK - like when people leave their dogs in a car. Or if someone did mention it during the initial police investigation, no written note was made and it did not form part of the briefing to the ChemWeaps team who went to seal up the house. They just sealed up the house from the outside and didn’t think to check the inside for pets. That is a tragedy, because just one thought might have saved three innocent lives. 
5.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The fifth, the evidence from a proper examination of the pets while alive could have exonerated Russia from all suspicion. This is a tragedy for the fair conduct of the the enquiry and, potentially, a tragedy for world peace. 
6.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;This seems the most unlikely, but sometimes it is the unlikely that stacks up - particularly if it is a series of errors that leads to the outcome, rather than any multi-party conspiracy being required: PETA ("People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals") were the first to go on record about the pets in the UK. PETA are a UK-based, European Organisation. It also has significant presence in the US, where it has been the subject of newspaper criticism. In Sweden, which is one of the countries identified by Russia, as producing Novichok, there is also an active animal rights scene - they have had more success than the same organisations in the UK in raising the bar for animal protection. It is possible that Skripal had been reported to PETA by one of his neighbours - for animal cruelty in leaving them alone for extended periods of time. Perhaps Djurens Ratt (a 100-year-old animal protection body) picked up the report and decided to pay back Skripal. This would have been fine, had the guinea pigs lived outside (as is most common in the UK - it is possible that Skripal had only brought them indoors because of the recent exceptionally cold weather) or if there had been a catflap in fact neither was the case. This is a tragedy, because in a good faith attempt to rescue the pets, the rescuer in fact ended up killing them.

Reasons 2, 3 &amp; 5 have been hinted at by the Russians and, it seems, may have been a likely independent avenue of enquiry of theirs, had they been allowed one. The Russians have been denied any line of independent enquiry and this is a tragedy for the standing of the UK in the world.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The fact that the animals were locked inside the house for several days suggests that the police did not access the alleged crime scene.

The scandal with the poisoning of the former GRU agent Sergei Skripal is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, absolutely innocent creatures suffered because of the diplomatic war between the UK and Russia. Remember that two dead guinea pigs and a black Persian cat in a critical condition were found in the ex-spy's home. The cat was taken to the Porton Down chemical weapons lab (not to a veterinary clinic which would be more expected). In the laboratory, chemists made a weird diagnosis, which they described as a "distressed state". The cat was euthanised. Its body, as well as those of the two guinea pigs, were immediately incinerated which was confirmed by the British government. Shortly after the Russian Embassy in London posed the question on what happened to the animals that Sergey Skripal kept in his Salisbury house, the British side, first in an unnamed leak and then as a DEFRA comment, said that "when a vet was able to access the property, two guinea pigs had sadly died. A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering". This is, however, the sort of answer that brings about still more questions. Regarding the dead guinea pigs and the malnourished cat, it is said unofficially that they were taken to the Porton Down facility and incinerated there. But it remains unclear if their remains were ever tested for toxic substances, which would constitute useful evidence, and if not, why such a decision was made. The fact that the animals were locked inside the house for several days suggests that the police did not access the alleged crime scene, which would be very unusual for such a high profile investigation. Such treatment of pets is also hardly consistent with UK laws on animal cruelty and comes as a blatant disregard for Skripal's rights as the owner and companion of the animals. Overall, it is difficult to avoid the impression that the animals have been disposed of as an inconvenient piece of evidence. It is also to be noted that, according to Skripal's niece Viktoria, there were two cats, not one, in the house - and the whereabouts of the second one is still unknown. Nevertheless, the way how the UK police treat animals is absolutely awful and unacceptable. Moreover, even their bodies could cast some light on this case. Instead, we have even more questions than before. Firstly, why were the pets sealed in the house with no food and water? How is it possible to imagine such a mockery and careless attitude towards animals? British officials must be held accountable for their decision to leave the pets inside the sealed-up house without any nutrition. In fact, their actions can be classified as animal abuse, which resulted in their death. Secondly, no matter how cynical this may sound, any living organism remained at the place where the potential poisoning occurred could indirectly help the investigation process. You don't even need to be an expert in chemistry to understand it. The use of such a potent substance as Novichok agent might have affected the pets as well. Unfortunately, we will never know this as their bodies were eliminated. No one even asked for their owners' permission for that. It seems like the British side is trying to cover up the tracks and destroy all the evidence. In Hollywood movies, criminals act like this when a detective tells them their version is not valid. Draw your own conclusions. But why was the fate of Skripal's pets tragic? Actually, there are 6 potential answers: 1. The death of any animal is a tragedy. 2. Any of the bad actors described above could have actually weaponised the pets using Porton Down technology - this demonstrates the ruthlessness of the British Secret Services and their involvement with Animal Testing - such a pointless and anti-human waste of life. 3. The 3rd is a tragedy, because it was nearly a good news story: the escape to freedom of animals previously used in weapons testing: Apparently Porton Down uses Guinea Pigs to trial its chemical weaponry. Porton Down, as we now know, is only a few miles from Salisbury. Guinea pigs escaped from the laboratory (or from the nearby chemical weapons exercises, where perhaps they were being kept out in the field in the back of a truck - maybe to go in - like they used to use canaries in coal mines) and infected the Skripals. 4. The fourth - because the Skripals were unable to speak when they were found, they couldn't inform the police about the pets at home, so they were not immediately rescued. The operatives who were sent into the home were not pet lovers, had not been trained in pet welfare and didn't have the pets at the top of their mind when investigating the house. No one thought to mention the welfare of the pets to a senior officer, everyone just assumed they would be OK - like when people leave their dogs in a car. Or if someone did mention it during the initial police investigation, no written note was made and it did not form part of the briefing to the ChemWeaps team who went to seal up the house. They just sealed up the house from the outside and didn’t think to check the inside for pets. That is a tragedy, because just one thought might have saved three innocent lives. 5. The fifth, the evidence from a proper examination of the pets while alive could have exonerated Russia from all suspicion. This is a tragedy for the fair conduct of the the enquiry and, potentially, a tragedy for world peace. 6. This seems the most unlikely, but sometimes it is the unlikely that stacks up - particularly if it is a series of errors that leads to the outcome, rather than any multi-party conspiracy being required: PETA ("People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals") were the first to go on record about the pets in the UK. PETA are a UK-based, European Organisation. It also has significant presence in the US, where it has been the subject of newspaper criticism. In Sweden, which is one of the countries identified by Russia, as producing Novichok, there is also an active animal rights scene - they have had more success than the same organisations in the UK in raising the bar for animal protection. It is possible that Skripal had been reported to PETA by one of his neighbours - for animal cruelty in leaving them alone for extended periods of time. Perhaps Djurens Ratt (a 100-year-old animal protection body) picked up the report and decided to pay back Skripal. This would have been fine, had the guinea pigs lived outside (as is most common in the UK - it is possible that Skripal had only brought them indoors because of the recent exceptionally cold weather) or if there had been a catflap in fact neither was the case. This is a tragedy, because in a good faith attempt to rescue the pets, the rescuer in fact ended up killing them. Reasons 2, 3 & 5 have been hinted at by the Russians and, it seems, may have been a likely independent avenue of enquiry of theirs, had they been allowed one. The Russians have been denied any line of independent enquiry and this is a tragedy for the standing of the UK in the world. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: The mysterious fate of Skripal's pets

US President Donald Trump has imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, the White House said on Friday, a move Moscow said would hurt already strained US-Russia ties.

The move came hours before a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-formally-withdraws-from-1987-nuclear-pact-with-russia-mike-pompeo-240169">landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty expired</a>, after Washington withdrew, accusing Moscow of violating it, which Russia denies.

Washington imposed an initial batch of sanctions last year on Russia after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia, in Britain, which Moscow denies.

“After the first round of sanctions in response to Russia’s assassination attempt against a private citizen in the UK, Russia did not provide the assurances required under US&nbsp;law," said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley.

"So we are imposing a second round of sanctions. It’s another instance where we’re proving tougher on Russia than previous administrations.”

Skripal, a former colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March last year after Novichok nerve agent was smeared on his front door.

A woman who lives nearby later died after her partner found the poison in a discarded perfume bottle and brought it home.

European countries and the United States expelled 100 Russian diplomats after the attack. London has charged two Russian men in absentia. The men appeared on Russian TV saying they had visited Salisbury as tourists.

The White House said on Friday that President Trump had signed an executive order, under which the US&nbsp;government would block international financial institutions such as the World Bank from lending to governments subject to US&nbsp;sanctions for using chemical or nuclear weapons.

The Russian rouble dipped to 65 versus the dollar on Friday for the first time in seven weeks, a fall analysts said could partly be attributed to the reported sanctions move.

"I think that this is primarily connected to US&nbsp;domestic politics," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RT TV channel.

Ryabkov said he regretted that US-Russia ties, already strained by differences over everything from Syria to Ukraine, had become a political football in the United States.

Russian officials have repeatedly complained about what they say is Trump's lack of room for manoeuvre, due to pressure on him from Congress and political rivals to look tough in the wake of accusations Moscow helped him win election in 2016.

Former US&nbsp;special prosecutor Robert Mueller indicted dozens of Russians for what his office called a state-run plot to influence the election to help Trump win. Moscow has denied the accusations. Trump calls the investigation a witch hunt.

Ryabkov said Moscow linked the sanctions to upcoming presidential elections in the United States and said Moscow was ready to defend itself from any negative consequences caused by the new restrictions.

US President Donald Trump has imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, the White House said on Friday, a move Moscow said would hurt already strained US-Russia ties.

US President Donald Trump has imposed another round of sanctions on Russia over the poisoning of a former spy in Britain, the White House said on Friday, a move Moscow said would hurt already strained US-Russia ties. The move came hours before a landmark Cold War-era arms control treaty expired, after Washington withdrew, accusing Moscow of violating it, which Russia denies. Washington imposed an initial batch of sanctions last year on Russia after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia, in Britain, which Moscow denies. “After the first round of sanctions in response to Russia’s assassination attempt against a private citizen in the UK, Russia did not provide the assurances required under US law," said White House spokesman Hogan Gidley. "So we are imposing a second round of sanctions. It’s another instance where we’re proving tougher on Russia than previous administrations.” Skripal, a former colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, and his daughter were found slumped on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March last year after Novichok nerve agent was smeared on his front door. A woman who lives nearby later died after her partner found the poison in a discarded perfume bottle and brought it home. European countries and the United States expelled 100 Russian diplomats after the attack. London has charged two Russian men in absentia. The men appeared on Russian TV saying they had visited Salisbury as tourists. The White House said on Friday that President Trump had signed an executive order, under which the US government would block international financial institutions such as the World Bank from lending to governments subject to US sanctions for using chemical or nuclear weapons. The Russian rouble dipped to 65 versus the dollar on Friday for the first time in seven weeks, a fall analysts said could partly be attributed to the reported sanctions move. "I think that this is primarily connected to US domestic politics," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RT TV channel. Ryabkov said he regretted that US-Russia ties, already strained by differences over everything from Syria to Ukraine, had become a political football in the United States. Russian officials have repeatedly complained about what they say is Trump's lack of room for manoeuvre, due to pressure on him from Congress and political rivals to look tough in the wake of accusations Moscow helped him win election in 2016. Former US special prosecutor Robert Mueller indicted dozens of Russians for what his office called a state-run plot to influence the election to help Trump win. Moscow has denied the accusations. Trump calls the investigation a witch hunt. Ryabkov said Moscow linked the sanctions to upcoming presidential elections in the United States and said Moscow was ready to defend itself from any negative consequences caused by the new restrictions.

US imposes new sanctions on Russia over Skripal poisoning

May tells Putin to end 'Destabilising' acts against UK. UK said Russia must end 'irresponsible & Destabilising' acts. Watch this video to know more.

Theresa May Warns Russia Over Skripal Poisoning

Britain and Bulgaria are investigating a possible third suspect in the Salisbury chemical attack who has also been linked to a 2015 poisoning in Bulgaria, the British ambassador to Sofia said Monday.

Emma Hopkins made the comments after talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov.

"We will continue in close partnership together with a joint team looking into the factual underpinning of these allegations," Hopkins said at a televised news conference.

A report published last week by the investigative website Bellingcat identified a hitherto unknown possible third suspect in last year's attack in the English city of Salisbury on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

Both had to be hospitalised after being exposed to the highly toxic nerve agent Novichok in an attack the British government says was "almost certainly" approved by the Russian state.

According to Bellingcat, the possible new suspect is a Russian military intelligence officer known under the alias "Sergey Fedotov".

The site said Fedotov had arrived in Britain two days before the Skripals were poisoned and could have been involved in the attack.

'Insecticide used'

Bellingcat has already used open-source techniques to identify two Russian military intelligence officers, Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, accused by Britain of carrying out the attack.

Despite Russian denials that they were involved, both men are now the subject of EU sanctions.

Bellingcat also argues that "Fedotov" may have been involved in the poisoning of Bulgarian arms manufacturer Emiliyan Gebrev, his son and a company executive in 2015.

Following Bellingcat's report and others in Bulgarian media, the prosecutor Tsatsarov on Monday said that "Fedotov" had travelled to Bulgaria three times in 2015; in February, again in April -- arriving shortly before Gebrev's poisoning -- and finally in May.

Tsatsarov said that the 2015 poisoning was "most probably" carried out using the insecticide Chlorpyrifos, traces of which were found on the coffee machine in Gebrev's home.

Gebrev collapsed at a reception he was hosting in Sofia on 28 April 2015 and fell into a coma. His son and one of his company executives were also treated for poisoning symptoms although all three recovered.

Tsatsarov said the probe into the Gebrev poisoning had been reopened in October 2018, and that the British authorities had "been provided with full access to all the documents and materials on this case".

Bulgarian media reports said Gebrev could have been targeted by Russia for exporting arms to Ukraine.

"European partners take very seriously allegations in relation to activities on European jurisdiction of Russian intelligence officers," Hopkins said. The Skripal case had given the UK experience of investigating such allegations, she added.

The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations -- but not by Bulgaria.

While Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, a British woman died last June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok.

Britain and Bulgaria are investigating a possible third suspect in the Salisbury chemical attack who has also been linked to a 2015 poisoning in Bulgaria, the British ambassador to Sofia said Monday.

Britain and Bulgaria are investigating a possible third suspect in the Salisbury chemical attack who has also been linked to a 2015 poisoning in Bulgaria, the British ambassador to Sofia said Monday. Emma Hopkins made the comments after talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov. "We will continue in close partnership together with a joint team looking into the factual underpinning of these allegations," Hopkins said at a televised news conference. A report published last week by the investigative website Bellingcat identified a hitherto unknown possible third suspect in last year's attack in the English city of Salisbury on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Both had to be hospitalised after being exposed to the highly toxic nerve agent Novichok in an attack the British government says was "almost certainly" approved by the Russian state. According to Bellingcat, the possible new suspect is a Russian military intelligence officer known under the alias "Sergey Fedotov". The site said Fedotov had arrived in Britain two days before the Skripals were poisoned and could have been involved in the attack. 'Insecticide used' Bellingcat has already used open-source techniques to identify two Russian military intelligence officers, Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin, accused by Britain of carrying out the attack. Despite Russian denials that they were involved, both men are now the subject of EU sanctions. Bellingcat also argues that "Fedotov" may have been involved in the poisoning of Bulgarian arms manufacturer Emiliyan Gebrev, his son and a company executive in 2015. Following Bellingcat's report and others in Bulgarian media, the prosecutor Tsatsarov on Monday said that "Fedotov" had travelled to Bulgaria three times in 2015; in February, again in April -- arriving shortly before Gebrev's poisoning -- and finally in May. Tsatsarov said that the 2015 poisoning was "most probably" carried out using the insecticide Chlorpyrifos, traces of which were found on the coffee machine in Gebrev's home. Gebrev collapsed at a reception he was hosting in Sofia on 28 April 2015 and fell into a coma. His son and one of his company executives were also treated for poisoning symptoms although all three recovered. Tsatsarov said the probe into the Gebrev poisoning had been reopened in October 2018, and that the British authorities had "been provided with full access to all the documents and materials on this case". Bulgarian media reports said Gebrev could have been targeted by Russia for exporting arms to Ukraine. "European partners take very seriously allegations in relation to activities on European jurisdiction of Russian intelligence officers," Hopkins said. The Skripal case had given the UK experience of investigating such allegations, she added. The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations -- but not by Bulgaria. While Skripal and his daughter survived the attack, a British woman died last June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok.

Britain and Bulgaria to probe report of new Skripal suspect

The European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian and Syrian officials on Monday, including the chief of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency.

The EU blamed the Russians -- two agents and the head and the deputy head of the GRU -- for the "possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent used in the attack in Salisbury, England last March.

In addition to an assets freeze and travel ban for the Russian officials, the bloc announced sanctions on an alleged Syrian chemical weapons agency and five Syrians, EU states said in a statement.

"This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security," the statement said, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Full details of those targeted were to be placed in the EU Official Journal later Monday.

Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.

The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations.

The Skripals survived the attack but a woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that British investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok.

Moscow denies involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations.

The European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian and Syrian officials on Monday, including the chief of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency.

The European Union imposed chemical weapons sanctions on nine Russian and Syrian officials on Monday, including the chief of the powerful GRU military intelligence agency. The EU blamed the Russians -- two agents and the head and the deputy head of the GRU -- for the "possession, transport and use" of the nerve agent used in the attack in Salisbury, England last March. In addition to an assets freeze and travel ban for the Russian officials, the bloc announced sanctions on an alleged Syrian chemical weapons agency and five Syrians, EU states said in a statement. "This decision contributes to the EU's efforts to counter the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which poses a serious threat to international security," the statement said, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Full details of those targeted were to be placed in the EU Official Journal later Monday. Russian agents have been blamed for the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the English city in March last year using the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok. The Salisbury attack, the first offensive use of chemical weapons in Europe since World War II, caused an international outcry and prompted a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats by Western nations. The Skripals survived the attack but a woman died in June after her partner picked up a discarded perfume bottle that British investigators believe was used to carry the Novichok. Moscow denies involvement in the poisoning and has offered numerous and varied alternative explanations and counter-accusations.

European Union sanctions Russia military intel chief, Syrian officials over Skripal