UK intelligence links Putin to Skripal poisoning over knowledge of illicit wealth

UK intelligence officials stated that Vladimir Putin likely ordered the 2018 poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal because he knew about Putin's illicit wealth. Skripal's information reportedly involved illegal activities linked to rare metals and embezzlement. Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, UK, leading to a major diplomatic crisis. The attack resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of Russian diplomats from the UK and other countries. Skripal had been a double agent for the UK since 1995 and was previously imprisoned in Russia for espionage. He was released in a 2010 spy swap and granted asylum in the UK.