Ex-Russian spy's daughter rebuffs Russian offer of help

Yulia Skripal, the daughter of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal who was poisoned in March, has turned down an offer of help from the Russian Embassy, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.

In a statement released on Wednesday through police, two days after she was discharged from hospital, Yulia Skripal said she was feeling better, the Independent newspaper reported. Her father is still in a hospital.

"I do not wish to avail myself of their (Russian Embassy) services... I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me," she said.

She also singled out her cousin, Viktoria Skripal, who had appeared on Russian television several times since the attack, once providing a recording of a phone conversation allegedly between herself and Yulia Skripal.

Viktoria Skripal had also applied for a UK visa, which was denied, a CNN report said.

"I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being," Yulia Skripal said. "Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's."

Russia has repeatedly insisted on being granted access to the father and daughter after they were poisoned with the rare military grade agent Novichok, leaving them both in critical condition. Moscow has denied responsibility for the March 4 Salisbury attack.

The statement from Yulia Skripal met with derision by the Russian authorities, who described it as "an interesting read," noting that there was no way to verify the statement.

"We would like to make sure that the statement really belongs to Yulia," the Russian Embassy in Britain said. "So far, we doubt it much."

Yulia Skripal was released from a hospital in southern England earlier this week after receiving treatment for the poisoning, which seriously worsened ties between the UK and Russia. It set off a chain events that led to the expulsions of hundreds of diplomats in Britain, the US, Russia and around the world.

She also confirmed that she had access to family and friends.

--IANS

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