Exiled Oligarch Warns: Putin Planning Another UK Poisoning

Exiled former Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned the UK that Vladimir Putin may be planning another attack similar to the Salisbury poisonings. Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man and who spent a decade in a Siberian prison for publicly challenging Putin, is currently in hiding in London, fearing for his life.

Khodorkovsky points out that if the UK does not challenge Russia, it could face a new attack similar to the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, an incident that caused shock worldwide. Dawn Sturgess died after coming into contact with a Russian nerve agent, and the attack also affected former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and police officer Nick Bailey, who survived the attack.

Khodorkovsky, interviewed by The Guardian, stated that Putin's goal is not only to get rid of certain people but to create a sense of vulnerability in the West, similar to what happened in Salisbury. The exiled man believes that the Kremlin will look for new ways to exert pressure. Khodorkovsky emphasized that Putin considers the UK his main enemy. The oligarch urged the British government to adopt a stronger rhetoric against Russia and its invasion of Ukraine to dissuade Putin from carrying out nefarious plans.

Khodorkovsky recounted the experience of the Cold War, suggesting that a firm response could deter Russian intelligence services, as no one wants to die. The warning comes after a warning from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), accusing Khodorkovsky and 22 members of Russia's Anti-War Committee of plotting a coup.

The oil tycoon was imprisoned in 2003 on charges of fraud and tax evasion, which his lawyers described as politically motivated charges. He was released a decade later, in December 2013, before fleeing Russia and becoming a prominent critic of the president. Khodorkovsky flatly denied the allegations of plotting to topple Putin.

The 2018 Salisbury poisoning involved the use of Novichok, a nerve agent that reportedly contained enough poison to kill thousands of people. The incident sparked international condemnation and exacerbated tensions between Russia and the West.