Russian tabloid publishes 'Skripal audio recording'

A Russian tabloid on Thursday published what it said was an audio recording of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who was poisoned along with his daughter in Britain last year.

The Skripals were discovered unconscious in the English town of Salisbury in March 2018 after they were poisoned by what investigators said was a highly toxic nerve agent.

UK authorities say the Skripals recovered from the attack and are kept in a secret location under the protection of the British state.

The popular Moskovsky Komsomolets daily published the 30-second recording on its website, saying it was the voice of the former double agent talking to his Russia-based niece, Viktoria Skripal.

If true, this would be the first audio recording of the former spy whose whereabouts are unknown since the attack in the English city of Salisbury that sparked a diplomatic crisis between Moscow and London.

While his daughter Yulia Skripal released a video statement last May, calling on everyone to respect the family's privacy, her father has not addressed the media.

But Viktoria Skripal has given frequent interviews to Russian media.

The Russian tabloid alleged Skripal called his niece to wish her well on May 9, the day Russia celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany, and left a message on the voicemail.

"Everything is fine with me, with us, with Yulechka (diminutive for Yulia) also," the male voice in the recording is heard saying.

"I wanted to know how you are," it added.

The mass circulation daily claimed it was the second time Skripal had contacted his relative, who lives in Yaroslavl, a city northeast of Moscow.

He first called his relatives, the paper said, after Viktoria's husband was beaten, allegedly after a man had insulted her for being related to a defector, in April.

After the attack, the British government said the military grade nerve agent was produced in Russia and the attempted assassination was "almost certainly" approved by the Russian state.

Moscow has denied involvement.