Skripal poisoning suspects give their first interview to media

Baku. 13 September. REPORT.AZ/  Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, accused by Britain of a nerve agent attack in the UK, have given their first interview to media. Report informs that they gave an interview to the Russian television channel RT and Sputnik, in which they said that they did not know anything about the Skripals before.

Boshirov denied ever hearing the last name Skripal, saying: 'I didn't know, I haven't heard - until this situation, until this nightmare with us started, I haven't heard this last name [Skripal], I knew nothing about them."

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov said they decided to give an interview to RT so that they were left alone, and that they chose the interview form after the address of Russian President Vladimir Putin who, during the Eastern Economic Forum, urged them to talk to media.

Boshirov said: "Is it silly for decent lads to have women's perfume? The customs are checking everything, they would have questions as to why men have women's perfume in their luggage. We didn't have it."

Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov noted that they visited the UK for business purposes and as tourists.

Notably, in early March, former GRU officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia were poisoned in Salisbury. London assessed Skripal poisoning as an attempted murder, accusing Moscow. In its turn, the Russian side strongly rejected the accusations but expressed readiness to cooperate in the investigation.

On September 5, British prosecutors revealed the names of Russians suspected of attempting to kill the Skripals - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov.