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‘We’re not agents’: UK’s suspects in Skripal case talk exclusively with RT’s editor-in-chief (VIDEO) ‘We’re not agents’: UK’s suspects in Skripal case talk exclusively with RT’s editor-in-chief (VIDEO)
(35 minutes later)
Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov told RT’s editor-in-chief they had nothing to do with the Skripals’ poisoning and are now scared to go outside, after the UK pointed to them as Russian intelligence agents on a kill mission.Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov told RT’s editor-in-chief they had nothing to do with the Skripals’ poisoning and are now scared to go outside, after the UK pointed to them as Russian intelligence agents on a kill mission.
WATCH BELOW PARTS 1 & 2 OF THE INTERVIEWWATCH BELOW PARTS 1 & 2 OF THE INTERVIEW
THE FOURTH PART OF THE VIDEO TO FOLLOW SOON.THE FOURTH PART OF THE VIDEO TO FOLLOW SOON.
The two men reached out to RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, as they wanted to tell their story. The first thing she asked them was to confirm their names, and they said that they were indeed Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, and that those were their real names. UK prosecutors claimed their names were not real, but Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov have confirmed their identities in an interview with RT’s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan.
She then asked them whether they worked for the GRU – Russian intelligence. They immediately denied it. Both men said emphatically that they were not Russian intelligence agents and were merely sightseeing in Salisbury. They said they wanted to visit the “wonderful town” of Salisbury but realized they came at a bad time – and not just because of the muddy English weather.
“You honestly look very tense,” Simonyan noted. The subsequent accusations caught them completely by surprise.
“And how would you look after all of that?” Petrov responded, before Boshirov said the British investigation “ruined their lives.” The pair told Simonyan they went to London to “hang out,” and decided to also visit Salisbury upon the advice of their friends. The town, situated close to the world-famous Stonehenge, also attracted them because of the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, “famous not just in Europe, but in the whole world.”
“Well, we came there [to the UK] on March 2, then went to a railway station to see the timetable. We arrived in Salisbury on March 3 and tried to walk through the town, but we lasted for only half an hour because it was covered in snow,” Petrov said.
“Of course, we went there to see Stonehenge, Old Sarum, but we couldn’t do it because there was muddy slush everywhere. The town was covered by this slush. We got wet, took the nearest train and came back [to London].” Its 123-meter spire and clock, the first one of its kind anywhere in the world, was a reason solid enough to jump on a train from London to Salisbury, Boshirov and Petrov explained. But then the weather interfered with their travel plans.
“We spent no more than an hour in Salisbury, mainly because of the lags between trains,” Boshirov said.“Maybe we did [approach] Skripal’s house, but we don’t know where is it located.” They tried to walk through the town when they arrived there by train on March 3, but that “lasted for only half an hour because it was covered in snow,” Petrov told Simonyan. There was “muddy slush everywhere.”
“On March 4 we returned [to Salisbury] because everything had melted away in London, there was warm and sunny weather. We specifically went there [again] to see the Old Sarum and the cathedral and decided to finish this thing on March 4," said Petrov. On March 4 though “everything had melted away in London, there was warm and sunny weather.” So the two decided to go there again to see the Old Sarum and the cathedral, “to finish this thing.” The “thing” in question might have sounded quite sinister given the scale of accusations made by the British, and Simonyan had to clarify: “What thing?” Petrov replied: “To see the cathedral.”
Simonyan clarified: “What thing?” Simonyan then challenged them about their stay in the UK. British investigators claimed Petrov and Boshirov transported Novichok, the military-grade nerve agent purportedly used in the attack, in a fake Nina Ricci perfume bottle.
“To see the cathedral,” Petrov replied. “Isn’t it silly for straight men to have women’s perfume? The customs are checking everything, they would have questions as to why men have women’s perfume in their luggage. We didn’t have it,” Boshirov said.
When Margarita Simonyan asked the two men whether they had Novichok or any poison with them, they emphatically said no. Then she asked whether they had the Nina Ricci perfume bottle that has been shown as evidence. They also underlined that not only did they not have Novichok in a Nina Ricci bottle, they didn’t have it at all, or any other poison for that matter.
“Isn't it silly for decent lads to have women’s perfume? The customs are checking everything, they would have questions as to why men have women’s perfume in their luggage. We didn’t have it,” Boshirov said. Both Petrov and Boshirov sounded distressed as they spoke about how much their lives had changed since they were named in the UK as Russian intelligence agents who attempted to assassinate the Skripals. “When your life has been turned upside down, you don’t know what to do and where to go,” Boshirov said.
Both Petrov and Boshirov sounded distressed as they spoke about how their lives had changed since they were named in the UK as Russian intelligence agents, who attempted to poison the Skripals.
“When your life turned upside down, you don’t know what to do and where to go. We’re afraid of going out, we fear for ourselves, our lives and lives of our loved ones,” Boshirov said. 
Asked whether they had recently been to any European state, the two said they were.Asked whether they had recently been to any European state, the two said they were.
“Sure… in Switzerland we were for a couple of times… we spent New year in Switzerland.” The journey was part of their vacation, however the two have also been in Europe to do business that is related to sports nutrition.“Sure… in Switzerland we were for a couple of times… we spent New year in Switzerland.” The journey was part of their vacation, however the two have also been in Europe to do business that is related to sports nutrition.
“We examine the market, look if there is something new – some biologically active additives, amino acids, vitamins, microelements. We pick up the most necessary, come here and decide how to deliver the new products from this market here.”“We examine the market, look if there is something new – some biologically active additives, amino acids, vitamins, microelements. We pick up the most necessary, come here and decide how to deliver the new products from this market here.”
After asked if they were people on the screenshots released by the UK, the men said they indeed were.After asked if they were people on the screenshots released by the UK, the men said they indeed were.
“Yes. We have these clothes, this jacket is hanging in my wardrobe. The shoes are bought in England…This is the clothes were are currently wearing.”“Yes. We have these clothes, this jacket is hanging in my wardrobe. The shoes are bought in England…This is the clothes were are currently wearing.”
“Are these clothes currently in Russia?” Simonyan asked.“Are these clothes currently in Russia?” Simonyan asked.
“Yes, of course, we can show it.”“Yes, of course, we can show it.”
The RT editor-in-chief also touched upon the most puzzling picture of the two, the photo from the Gatwick airport.The RT editor-in-chief also touched upon the most puzzling picture of the two, the photo from the Gatwick airport.
“Here is the picture that puzzled the whole world, Gatwick airport, you are leaving through a gate literally in the same times, almost the same second. How did it happen?” she asked.“Here is the picture that puzzled the whole world, Gatwick airport, you are leaving through a gate literally in the same times, almost the same second. How did it happen?” she asked.
“We always go together through the same corridor and the same custom service officer or a policeman. One goes, the other waits. We went through the corridor together, we always [do it] together. How did it happen? It’s better to ask them [UK police],” Boshirov replied.“We always go together through the same corridor and the same custom service officer or a policeman. One goes, the other waits. We went through the corridor together, we always [do it] together. How did it happen? It’s better to ask them [UK police],” Boshirov replied.
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