Theresa May dramatically pointed the finger at Vladimir Putin tonight over the nerve gas attack on a former spy.
The Prime Minister said the facts increasingly suggested Russia was behind the apparent 'hit' on double-agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
Branding the attack a 'reckless and despicable act', Mrs May said the substance used was a 'military grade' agent Moscow has produced.
Together with Russia's previous actions and tactics, including the killing of Alexander Litvinenko, the UK authorities had concluded it was 'highly likely' to be involved in the episode.
In a tough statement updating MPs after a meeting of the National Security Council, Mrs May said: 'It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia.
'This is part of a group of nerve agents known as novichok.
'Based on the positive identification of this chemical agent by world leading experts at the laboratory at Port Down, our knowledge that Russia has previously produced this agent and would still be cap able of doing so, Russia's record of conducting state sponsored assassinations, and our assessment that Russia views defectors as a legitimate target for assassination the government has concluded that it is highly likely Russia was responsible for the act against Sergei and Yulia Skripal.'
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