Poisoned double agent Skripal briefed British allies: Czech source

Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, poisoned in Britain in March, met other European intelligence services to give information about Russian spies operating on their territories, a Czech intelligence source said today.

Skripal, recruited by Britain's MI6 in 1995, had "crucial information on how the Russian system works, how they work abroad," a well-informed Czech intelligence source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

Skripal and his daughter were poisoned in England in March in a nerve agent attack that Britain and its Western allies have blamed on Russia.

Moscow has vehemently denied any involvement.

The former Russian spy visited Prague in 2012, according to the website of Czech weekly Respekt.

"Yes, something like that did happen. The participants in the meeting considered it most beneficial," the intelligence source told AFP.

"When an intelligence agency, whether British or American, recruits someone like this, they use him for this purpose. They offered him to allies, not only to the Czech Republic," the source added.

Czech intelligence officials also met Skripal in Britain at least once, according to Respekt.

The New York Times reported this week that in 2016 Skripal also met agents from Estonia, a formerly Soviet-ruled Baltic state that is now an EU and NATO member.

Harrys Puusepp, spokesman for Estonia's Internal Security Service, declined to confirm or deny the report on Wednesday, telling AFP that the agency cannot "comment on our international cooperation".