Skripal Mystery

Skripal Mystery: The Poisoning That Shocked the World

In March 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found slumped on a park bench in the quiet English city of Salisbury—victims, according to British authorities, of a Russian state-sponsored nerve agent attack using the infamous Novichok.

The story was sensational: a former Russian spy and his daughter poisoned with a military-grade chemical weapon allegedly smeared on a door handle by two bumbling Russian intelligence agents posing as fitness enthusiasts with an unusual interest in English cathedrals.

A Miraculous Recovery, Then Silence

Miraculously, both Skripals survived. After weeks of intensive treatment, they were discharged and vanished into a world of secrecy.

Reports claim they spent over a year in an MI6 safe house before being relocated to New Zealand with new identities. No interviews, no appearances, no public acknowledgements—just silence.

Meanwhile, a British woman, Dawn Sturgess, died after being exposed to Novichok from a discarded perfume bottle, seemingly linked to the same batch.

Where Are the Skripals Now?

As of June 2025, Sergei and Yulia Skripal are believed to be living in New Zealand under new identities, due to the ongoing threat of further attacks.

In 2024, a British inquiry ruled that the risk of another attempt on their lives was “not properly controllable,” and that even remote testimony would endanger their safety and location.

Questions That Still Linger

And yet, questions persist.

Why haven’t the Skripals resurfaced, even once, to tell their story? If they truly survived one of the most lethal chemical agents ever created—an agent reportedly designed to leave no survivors—why has their case been kept so tightly sealed?

British officials claim it’s for their safety. Critics wonder if the silence serves a different purpose.

A Convenient Silence?

Is it unreasonable to ask whether the real danger lies not in Russian retaliation, but in the unraveling of a narrative that has served Western geopolitical aims too neatly?

After all, nothing cements a villain quite like a shadowy assassination attempt on Western soil using Cold War-era toxins.

To question the official account invites instant suspicion, but perhaps it’s time we did. Because in a world where disinformation is currency, silence can be just as deafening as testimony.

Join the Conversation

What do you think really happened to the Skripals? Are they hidden away for their safety—or to preserve a narrative that’s no longer open to scrutiny? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

At Newsfangled, we believe open discussion matters—and we’ll always keep it accessible.


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