Another Russian spy hit?

[existentialist]

Their hitmen certainly have a taste for the dramatic.

Pour encourager les aûtres.

 

[tim]

Why don't they use drones like we do when we murder expats who irritate us?

 

[tim]

Another Russian who (allegedly) spied for Britain. The Kremlin’s way of saying they, (the Brits) can’t/won’t protect you.

He isn't an alleged spy. He's the real thing. He spent several years in a Russian gaol before being swapped for some Russian spies held by the USA

 

[Sprocket.]

He isn't an alleged spy. He's the real thing. He spent several years in a Russian gaol before being swapped for some Russian spies held by the USA

Always put allegedly, polonium doesn’t suffer from guilt!

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Critically ill man is former Russian spy

Too early to tell, I guess but all very suspicious.

I imagine if you are a Russian spy who has betrayed your country and quite possibly caused the deaths of fellow spies there will be a lot of people who not only dislike you intensely but have the temperment and knowledge to see you off. I suspect it is not an official hit, more likely an ex spy or mafia contact who freelanced.

^This. If the Russians (any official department) wanted him dead, he was in their hands in prison not very long ago.

 

[tim]

Always put allegedly, polonium doesn’t suffer from guilt!

It'll Gavin Williams and his tarantula that will be sent out to eliminate subversive riff-raff like you, not the Comrades

.

 

[Sprocket.]

It'll Gavin Williams and his tarantula that will be sent out to eliminate subversive riff-raff like you, not the Comrades.

Subversive riff-raff, I haven’t been called that since my last school report!

 

[Sprocket.]

Apparently a lot of his close family have died in suspicious circumstances too in the last few years. I heard on PM earlier.

 

[Grump]

Why now though?
And why the daughter too?

If they were non state actors they would attack when they had an opportunity, which might take longer to arrange if you were not FSB. Interesting comment on radio today about how children are generally off limits when spy agencies attack each other's agents. This might not apply to people acting on their own initiative.

 

[agricola]

^This. If the Russians (any official department) wanted him dead, he was in their hands in prison not very long ago.

You don't do something like this just to kill him though, you do it to prevent people now and in the future from doing what he did. Killing prisoners just makes people that much more determined not to go to prison.

More importantly though there is the media coverage of this, which fits in well with the image that Putin wants to send out - that Russia is a strong nation capable of striking its enemies wherever they may be found, even in Zizzis.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Even zizzis ?

Putin has no morals

 

[DotCommunist]

'His arm has grown long indeed,' said Gimli, 'if he can draw exotic radioactive isotopes down from the East to trouble us here three hundred leagues away.'
'His arm has grown long,' said Gandalf.'


Reading about that Young bloke I kept wondering why nobody had established a bolthole, somewhere secure. You've got millions on millions and you know its dodgy. But I can't think like these people, some international playground suddenly becoming a very small space to hide in. Why weren't you happy with a few whiffy mill, you'll literally never spend the stuff

 

[existentialist]

^This. If the Russians (any official department) wanted him dead, he was in their hands in prison not very long ago.

Unless they wanted to send a very public message to the UK/other defectors/their own electorate that this is how they treat traitors. In which case they let him go, let him build a new life, off his relatives one by one, and then very publicly do him in. Let's face it, if someone had done the pair of them with a silenced 9mm, it would have been shocking and newsworthy, but nowhere near as in your face as publicly poisoning them and allowing them to die slowly...almost the same as happened with Litvinenko.

I really do think a very pointed message is being said with this: it's a slicker version of that DPRK assassination of the bloke in the airport with nerve gas.

 

[not-bono-ever]

'His arm has grown long indeed,' said Gimli, 'if he can draw exotic radioactive isotopes down from the East to trouble us here three hundred leagues away.'
'His arm has grown long,' said Gandalf.'


Reading about that Young bloke I kept wondering why nobody had established a bolthole, somewhere secure. You've got millions on millions and you know its dodgy. But I can't think like these people, some international playground suddenly becoming a very small space to hide in. Why weren't you happy with a few whiffy mill, you'll literally never spend the stuff

they are not able to disconnect from the system that they are involved in- you and me and most of this board could probabaly bank 10M and disappear off the face of the earth, dossing in Thailand for a decade on a Costa rican possport or suchlike- they cannot do it, their worth is tied up with the people they lurk with.

 

[DaveCinzano]

But who’s hit Boris?

DON'T FUCK WITH DARIUS

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

you and me and most of this board could probabaly bank 10M and disappear off the face of the earth, dossing in Thailand for a decade on a Costa rican possport or suchlike

That's likely not as easy as you think!

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Even zizzis ?

Putin has no morals

Bloke in Zizzis on the Strand cut his own cock off a few years ago. This whole thing could be a Zizzi issue rather than anything to do with the kind and wise, not to mention, very handsome, Mr Putin.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

 

[teqniq]

Suspected fentanyl according to this report.

Salisbury suspected fentanyl incident: Pictures of police cordon as investigation continues into why former Russian colonel and British spy is critically ill

 

[not-bono-ever]

That's likely not as easy as you think!

yes of course, but thats an extreme example

 

[keybored]

Interesting comment on radio today about how children are generally off limits when spy agencies attack each other's agents.

Didn't hear it but did they mean children literally? The daughter being in her 30s after all.

 

[moochedit]

Suspected fentanyl according to this report.

Salisbury suspected fentanyl incident: Pictures of police cordon as investigation continues into why former Russian colonel and British spy is critically ill

Fentanyl? That's not very exotic. I was expecting vx or polonium or something like that.

 

[TheHoodedClaw]

Didn't hear it but did they mean children literally? The daughter being in her 30s after all.

A daughter in her 30s is still a child, literally.

Edit: Anyway, back in the day, the Cold War participants didn't even particularly go hard against foreign national agents of other powers. It didn't rise to the level of a gentleman's agreement as such, but captured agents are much more valuable as bargaining chips. Traitors, on the other hand, well...

 

[teqniq]

Fentanyl? That's not very exotic. I was expecting vx or polonium or something like that.

Apparently it may have been in the agent used a the Moscow theatre siege, so it's not improbable.

 

[2hats]

Suspected fentanyl according to this report.

Not a lot in that report about fentanyl other than the headline. Witness reports and the response of authorities might suggest something else...

(The V above wasn’t for Vlad, or vengeance. Feel free to choose a G instead of a V.)

 

[not-bono-ever]

Apparently it may have been in the agent used a the Moscow theatre siege, so it's not improbable.

and that turned out so well.

a big (relatively) slab of Fen IIRC isnt easily fixable either. unpleasant way to go

 

[moochedit]

According to this they sent samples to a milatary research lab to analyse and they haven't identified it yet. If it was Fentanyl surely they would have identified it quickly?
Also if you want to send a message surely you would use something only a state could get hold of? Would have thought any criminal gang could get hold of Fentanyl?

Counter-terrorism police take over Sergei Skripal 'poison' case
Counter-terrorism police take over Sergei Skripal 'poison' case

 

[existentialist]

According to this they sent samples to a milatary research lab to analyse and they haven't identified it yet. If it was Fentanyl surely they would have identified it quickly?
Also if you want to send a message surely you would use something only a state could get hold of? Would have thought any criminal gang could get hold of Fentanyl?

Counter-terrorism police take over Sergei Skripal 'poison' case
Counter-terrorism police take over Sergei Skripal 'poison' case

"It's that easy. Right, who's next?"

 

[Grump]

Didn't hear it but did they mean children literally? The daughter being in her 30s after all.

Good point. I think the implication was that it was family that were off limits, not just U18's.

 

[heinous seamus]

To retaliate, apparently no members of the royal family will travel to the world cup this summer. That will teach them.