According to a British intelligence briefing that was shared with its allies, the nerve agent poison used in the attempted murder of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia was manufactured at the Shikhany research facility in southwestern Russia. The facility sits about 600 miles away from Moscow. While Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attack, Britain’s finger pointing at country’s leading chemical research base is the most specific accusation of its responsibility yet, via the Sunday Times.
So far, Britain and a number of its allies have expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats to retaliate for the attack, and here’s more of about the facility:
Little else is known about the secretive military site because nobody can enter it without a permit. According to The Times, Shikhany is home to the Novichok chemical lab as well as cafés, groceries, hospitals, and schools.
A satellite image of Shikhany-2—the closed, military part of the town—shows dozens of buildings lined up in a row, some of which have parking lots. The exact location of the chemical weapons lab within the facility is not known.
On a more positive note, Yulia Skripal was upgraded from critical condition and said to be improving rapidly, and her father has now joined his daughter in improving and is responding well to treatment. However, they are both still hospitalized and being closely monitored.
(Via The Sunday Times)