Third Russian charged in 2018 nerve agent attack on ex-spy in England

British authorities on Tuesday announced they are charging another suspected Russian agent for his alleged role in a 2018 nerve agent attack on a former Kremlin agent and his daughter in England.

Scotland Yard said prosecutors believe there is enough evidence to charge Denis Sergeev with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, possessing and using a chemical weapon and causing grievous bodily harm, The Associated Press reported.

Authorities are charging Sergeev, along with two other Russian agents known by aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, for the attack on former Russian spy turned British agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. Both survived, but another woman died and another man and a police officer became ill months later after exposure to the nerve agent contained in a perfume bottle.

Skripal and his daughter spent several weeks receiving critical care after the attack.

Moscow has denied the allegations, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the accused were merely civilians, according to the AP.

British authorities have issued arrest warrants and submitted applications for Interpol notices for the three suspected agents of the Russian military intelligence service. Yet Russia does not allow the extradition of its citizens.

“All three of them are dangerous individuals,” said U.K. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, a senior counterterrorism officer who has been leading the investigation, according to The AP. 

“They have tried to murder people here in the U.K, and they have also brought an extremely dangerous chemical weapon into the U.K. by means unknown,” Haydon added, noting evidence suggests the suspects “previously worked with each other and on behalf of the Russian state as part of operations carried out outside of Russia.”