British experts’ conclusion on the substance used to poison former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal comes as no surprise as the formula of the substance is widely known, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said.
"Personally, I am not surprised by this conclusion because the substance they call Novichok - which, as I understand, refers to a whole category of substances - is widely known," the Russian ambassador said, adding that its formula is even available on the Internet
"It means that it could have been manufactured anywhere, provided its manufacturers had a fairly equipped laboratory and the skills of chemistry students," Chizhov noted. "So it is only natural that its origin cannot be identified," TASS cited Chizhov as saying.
