Novichok Suspects: We Only Went To Salisbury To See The Cathedral
Two men suspected the Novichok attack insist they went to Salisbury to see the city's world-famous cathedral and not to poison a former spy.
Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov told RT, Russia's state-owned TV station, that they were only in Salisbury as tourists to visit Stonehenge.
They said they are victims of a "fantastical coincidence" and would like an apology from the real poisoners.
The pair, who claim their real names are indeed Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, said their friends had told them to visit "this wonderful town, Salisbury which has a famous cathedral and 132m spire, and is famous for its clock".
They said they wanted to go to Stonehenge but were prevented from doing so because there was "muddy slush everywhere" so they got wet and went back to London an hour after arriving, as there was an intermittent train service.
Mr Petrov and Mr Boshirov said "maybe" they approached former Russian spy Sergei Skripal's house, "but we don't know where it is located".
RT's editor-in-chief said the two men reached out to her as they wanted to tell their story.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two men had been identified and they were civilians and "not criminals".
A spokesperson for the British government said: “The Police and Crown Prosecution Service have identified these men as the prime suspects in relation to the attack in Salisbury.
“The Government is clear these men are officers of the Russian military intelligence service – the GRU – who used a devastatingly toxic, illegal chemical weapon on the streets of our country.
“We have repeatedly asked Russia to account for what happened in Salisbury in March. Today – just as we have seen throughout - they have responded with obfuscation and lies.”