Only Russia had motive to carry out the attack: UK PM on Salisbury

United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday in the UK parliament addressed the Salisbury attack and said that only Russia had the motive to carry out the attack as well as the technical means and operational experience.

She referred to the chemical attack as "despicable and sickening", which killed one woman and has left four others fighting for their lives.

"We repeatedly asked Russia to account for what happened in Salisbury in March, and they have replied with obfuscation and lies. .Their attempts to hide the truth by pushing out a deluge of disinformation simply reinforces their culpability," May said while holding Russia accountable for the attack.

She further revealed that the police investigation has enabled the Crown Prosecution Services to bring charges against the two suspects, so the security and intelligence agencies have carried out the investigations into the group behind this attack.

"I can today tell the House that, based on a body of intelligence, the Government have concluded that the two individuals named by the police and CPS are officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU. The GRU is a highly disciplined organisation with a well-established chain of command, so this was not a rogue operation. It was almost certainly also approved outside the GRU at a senior level of the Russian state," she said.

The Skripals were found unconscious at a shopping centre in Salisbury on March 4. They were admitted to a hospital soon after.

The UK blamed Russia for the poisoning, following which, it expelled 23 Russian diplomatic workers in retaliation. In a display of solidarity, over 25 western nations, including the United States, have ousted Russian diplomats.