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The Russian ex-spy and his daughter left critically ill in a nerve agent attack three weeks ago were probably poisoned at the front door of their home, British police say.
Key points:
- Police have searched numerous sites including pub, restaurant and cemetery
- Russia says it's in no hurry to retaliate for expulsion of its diplomats
- Moscow says UK secret service may have been behind attack
It was the first time police have said where they thought Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia might have been poisoned.
The highest concentration of nerve agent found so far was on the Skripals' front door in Salisbury, and detectives plan to focus their investigation in the surrounding area, London's Metropolitan Police force said in a statement.
"At this point in our investigation, we believe the Skripals first came in contact with the nerve agent from their front door," deputy assistant commissioner Dean Haydon said in the statement.
"We are therefore focusing much of our efforts in and around their address."
Police have also searched a variety of sites around Salisbury, including a pub, a restaurant and a cemetery.
Britain has blamed Russia for the attack, triggering the expulsion of about 150 Russian diplomats from the UK, US, Australia and other Western allies.
Russia has vowed to respond, but a senior diplomat said on Wednesday there was no hurry to retaliate.
Moscow vehemently denies Britain's accusation it was behind the March 4 attack.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday British secret services may have used the Novichok nerve agent, which was developed by the Soviet military, to frame Russia and stoke anti-Russian hysteria.
'All options on table' for Russian response
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA Novosti state news agency Moscow was "thoughtfully and thoroughly" considering its response.
Separately, he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying the expulsions were directed by London and Washington, adding that other countries succumbed to their pressure.
He said "all options are on the table" regarding Russia's response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters Russia's response, "will suit the interests of Russia".
US President Donald Trump spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May about the coordinated effort by Western allies to expel Russian intelligence operatives.
The White House said the leaders agreed on Wednesday that dismantling Russian spy rings is a priority to, "curtail Russian clandestine activities and prevent future chemical weapons attacks on either country's soil".
Mr Skripal was imprisoned in Russia after he sold secrets to British intelligence.
He was released in a 2010 spy swap and moved to Britain.
Britain says the Skripals were poisoned with a nerve agent developed in Soviet times and that it must have come from Russia.
Russian officials complain Britain has not presented evidence to back up the accusation.
AP/Reuters
Topics: police, security-intelligence, defence-and-national-security, crime, law-crime-and-justice, foreign-affairs, world-politics, united-kingdom, russian-federation
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