UK vows to hit back against Russia's shadowy GRU

Western officials say the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, poses a growing menace around the world.

Increasingly alarmed by the agency's foreign forays, Western nations are scrambling to protect themselves and to strike back against a shadowy organisation British Prime Minister Theresa May calls "a threat to all our allies and our citizens."

This week Britain charged two alleged GRU agents in absentia with the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were left critically ill after being exposed to a Soviet-made nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury.

Moscow denies any involvement, and Britain and its allies won't find it easy to counter an organization with strong ties to the Russian leadership and a seeming disregard for international laws.