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According to a new report, a man accused of poisoning Salisbury has been identified as a senior officer of Russian military intelligence.
Ruslan Boshirov, 39, is currently wanted by the British authorities after allegedly attempting to kill 63-year-old Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia in the UK earlier this year with Novichok's neurotoxic agent.
He is also wanted for the murder of Dawn Sturgess, who died after being in contact with a jetted bottle containing the substance.
He had appeared on Russian television denying his involvement in the crime, with his alleged accomplice Alexander Petrov, but a report from the Telegraph and Bellingcat apparently revealed his true identity.
The two organizations declared that his real name was Colonel Anatoly Vladimirovich Chepiga and that he had received the highest military distinction of Russia after serving both in the Chechen and Ukrainian wars.
They also confirmed that he was fighting for the GRU as part of the Spetsnaz unit for 17 years, which Theresa May had alleged.
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During this period, he received the medal of the hero of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in 2014, which is only one of the 20 awards received.
The report adds that this information was verified by data on the website of the Far East Military Command Academy where it was formed.
The Russian president claimed that the men were "civilians" and were not involved in the Novichok attack.
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The investigation revealed that a high-ranking Russian military officer believed Col Chepiga's involvement meant that the alleged assassination attempt had "probably been ordered at the highest level" because of his resume.
The Crown Prosecution Service accused Boshirov and Petrov of the Salisbury poisoning attack and European arrest warrants were issued against the men currently in Russia.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for a comment.
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