NBC

Ex-Spy Who Betrayed Russia Critically Ill After Being Found Unconscious in England

A British police official acknowledged but played down similarities to the death of another former Russian agent in England

A former Russian spy was found unconscious on a bench with a younger woman Sunday in Britain and is in critical condition as officials try to identify what substance they were exposed to, NBC News reported.

Sergei Skripal, a former military intelligence officer freed in a 2010 U.S.-Russia spy swap, reportedly shared the identity of dozens of spies with British intelligence.

British authorities decontaminated the scene around the shopping mall bench in southern England where Skripal, 66, and a 33-year-old woman were found, but said there was no risk to the public.

A police official speaking to the BBC acknowledged similarities to the death of a former Russian agent, who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London, but said "we have to remember that Russian exiles are not immortal."

Contact Us