The Spy Who - The Spy Who Putin Poisoned | Always a Spy | 3

Episode Date: November 5, 2024

In a top-secret Russian laboratory, a terrifying chemical weapon called Novichok is about to be hauled out of storage, and will soon reach the streets of British city Salisbury.Listen to The ...Spy Who ad-free on Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-spy-who now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge full seasons of The Spy Who early and ad-free on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. The Soviet Union, May 1987. 23 years before Sergei Skripal moves to Salisbury. In a secret state laboratory in Moscow, Andrei Zelenskiyakov stands in front of a glass enclosure. Inside, a rabbit twitches its nose and its whiskers tremble. Zelenskiyakov is a middle-aged Russian scientist with a thick beard. Like his father before him, he works for the USSR's chemical weapons program.
Starting point is 00:00:49 His current assignment is codenamed Foliant. And it's his job to assess the effects of a new toxin named Novichok-5. Novichok-5 is the deadliest chemical weapon ever developed. It's a nerve agent that can evade NATO detection equipment, penetrate most protective suits and has a shelf life of around 50 years. Zeleshnikov presses a button on a console and the rabbit enclosure slowly fills with mist. Zeleshnikov places his hand on the console and leans forward
Starting point is 00:01:27 to observe the rabbit more closely. The creature's body begins to twitch with involuntary tremors. Mucus begins to dribble from its nose and the pupils of its eyes constrict to tiny pinpricks. The scientist is so engrossed in the spectacle that he doesn't notice the laboratory's extractor fan fall silent. Behind the glass, the effects of the Novichok poisoning intensify. The rabbit thrashes about uncontrollably before it completely loses coordination and collapses onto the straw in a state of paralysis. Zelenshnikov notices his station is now eerily quiet. He looks up at the fume hood, then presses the button for the backup extractor fan. Before he can call for help, red and orange circles cloud his vision.
Starting point is 00:02:19 Loud ringing fills his ears. Zeleshnikov is overcome with a sense of foreboding. As he tries to catch his breath, he falls back into his ears. Zaleshnikov is overcome with a sense of foreboding. As he tries to catch his breath, he falls back into his chair. It's got me! It's got me! Another scientist rushes across the room to check on him. The antidote! Hurry! The scientist scrambles to roll up Zaleshnikov's shirt sleeve. He plunges a small syringe into his colleague's arm,
Starting point is 00:02:44 just as a third scientist races in with a cup of tea. Here, drink this. As Zaleshnikov throws up the liquid, his vision blurs and his muscles begin to spasm. His mind flashes with close-ups of the rabbit he just watched twist and die. Even through the pain, he understands precisely what is happening. Novichok 5 has started to corrode his nervous system, shutting off his brain from the rest of his body. As he descends into unconsciousness, Zaleshnikov doubts he'll survive.
Starting point is 00:03:21 But if he does, he knows it's unlikely he will ever fully recover. From Wondery, I'm Raza Jafri, and this is The Spy Who. In the last episode, retired GRU Colonel Sergei Skripal was arrested and convicted of spying for Britain. But after nearly three years in a remote penal colony, MI6 secured his release as part of a spy swap in exchange for ten Russian spies arrested by the FBI. Now, Skripal's about to start over in Britain. But Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, is still seething over the destruction of his US spy network. This is Episode 3, Always a Spy.
Starting point is 00:04:23 Fort Moncton, Gosport, England. It's July 9th, 2010, and in MI6's training centre, Sergei Skripal is posing for the camera. Look directly at the camera, please. No smiling. OK, you don't need to look quite so unhappy. Skripal landed in Britain just a few hours ago, after being exchanged in a spy swap brokered by the CIA. He's only just changed out of his Russian prison clothes.
Starting point is 00:04:54 Now he's having photographs taken for his new British passport. Two days ago, Skripal was languishing in a remote Russian penal colony, serving a 13-year prison sentence. Now he's an hour's drive from Stonehenge and about to become a British citizen. It's a sudden change of fortune and circumstance that's left him reeling. An MI6 officer, who has been watching from the side of the room, steps forward. OK, I think you have all the photos you need. He gently takes Skripal's arm, then turns to the photographer and nods toward the door.
Starting point is 00:05:28 The photographer takes his camera and leaves the MI6 officer to begin his debrief of Skripo. Take a seat, Sergo. I know it's been a long couple of days. I'll keep this brief, but we may need to have a few of these chats while we sort out your living arrangements. Where am I? Fort Moncton, near Portsmouth. This fort has been here since the time of the French Revolutionary War. Well, don't worry. It's very secure. Should I be worried?
Starting point is 00:05:56 No, no, absolutely not. You've received a presidential pardon. It's over. Scrippo looks hopeful. I don't have to change my identity. I do not need to take an English name. No need for a new identity. The terms of the exchange mean the matter is closed. Putin has what he wanted, and we have what we wanted. You. Of course, we don't recommend you visit Moscow for a little while, but you are free to live under your own name. No need to hide. How did they find me? We were so careful. You didn't make a mistake. A disaffected Spanish intelligence officer leaked information to the Russians. That information exposed Yuri Bolotov as a Spanish agent and revealed the existence of another mole within the GRU in Spain.
Starting point is 00:06:41 The FSB must have deduced that you were the second man. Anyway, the Spanish officer who leaked the information is now in prison. Skripal nods calmly. He seems unmoved to the officer's surprise. I thought you might have been angrier. I knew the risks. For the next hour, the MI6 officer quizzes Skripal on the details of his capture and the imprisonment by the Russians. How much had Skripal revealed to his interrogators? What, if anything, had he told his captors about his MI6 handlers? Finally, the officer asks Skripal about his new life. Would he prefer to remain in Britain or return to Spain? Skripal thinks of the Spanish officer who betrayed him. It's an easy decision.
Starting point is 00:07:27 England. I'm here now, anyway. We'll pull some options together and let you decide where you'd like to start your new life. Off the top of my head, we have three potential properties, all lovely cities. Which cities? Winchester, Chichester or Salisbury? One year later, Christy Miller Road, a cul-de-sac in Salisbury, south-west England.
Starting point is 00:07:51 Morning, love. Ross Cassidy, a road haulage contractor and former Royal Navy submariner, enters his suburban home. Morning. His wife, Mo, sits at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper. Guess what? I just met the new neighbours. Oh. His wife puts down her mug of tea. What are they like?
Starting point is 00:08:10 Russian, but nice. A couple, our sort of age. The wife has been in and out of hospital, though. Cancer, I think. Oh, bless them. Children? Older. The daughter, Julia.
Starting point is 00:08:21 Julia? Something like that. Anyway, she's been helping them move in they have a son too but he lives in moscow mo furrows her brow what's brought them to salisbury then work i guess he didn't say mo pauses in thought for a moment then she opens the laptop on the kitchen table what did you say his name was again i didn't it. It's Skripal. Sergei Skripal. Skripal with a C or with a K? No idea.
Starting point is 00:08:50 Cassidy stands behind his wife and ducks down so he can see the screen over her shoulder. The search results load. To the pair's surprise, it shows several news stories from national newspapers. Mo clicks on the top result, a news report from the New York Times. The page loads in the headline,
Starting point is 00:09:09 Swap idea emerged early in case of Russian agents. That's him, the one in the tracksuit. Why is he behind bars? Good God, what's he done? Shh, let me read. The couple's eyes widen as they scan the news report. It appears they are now living next door to a Russian spy. Just over a year later, central London.
Starting point is 00:09:38 A member of MI6's resettlement team enters a busy London cafe and scans the tables. He spots Skripal sitting in a corner seat, nursing a mug of hot tea. The officer approaches. Sergei, you look well. How have you been? The officer sits in the empty chair that Skripal has kept for him. Despite the compliment, Skripal actually looks unkempt. In October 2012, his wife, Ludmilla, died from cancer. Skripal is grieving. It's not been easy. I was sorry to hear the news. She was very brave. I visit her grave most days. The resettlement officer pats Skripal's arm. It's been an effort to cajole Skripal to London for this meeting, but protocol dictates these check-ins cannot happen in the city in which a spy has resettled,
Starting point is 00:10:27 and MI6 needs to assess its former agent's mental state. The resettlement officer leans back in his chair. Skripal doesn't look up, fixating instead on the half-empty mug of tea. The resettlement officer is used to meeting old spies. Regular, upbeat meetings are essential to ensure retirees from the secret world don't feel abandoned or despondent. But it's equally important to furnish them with a role, so they don't feel redundant as well. A feeling MI6 refers to as post-usefulness syndrome. I've been thinking about your future. Some work has come up and I think you'd be perfect for it.
Starting point is 00:11:07 Finally, Skripal looks up. He meets the officer's eyes. What do you mean? Has Salisbury suddenly become Britain's capital of espionage? You are allowed to travel, you know. And many of our intelligence service allies are eager to hear from a former GRU man. As I'm sure you can imagine. The lecture circuit can pay well, too.
Starting point is 00:11:29 Which intelligence service allies? Lots of them. But right now, the Czechs hold semi-regular meetings between people from a similar field. Men and women who used to sit on opposite sides of the table, as it were. If you like, I could put your name forward. Two years later, 2014. Prague, the Czech Republic. Two men in their late 20s lean against a wall in the picturesque Czech capital. Their loose-fitting clothes hide their muscular frames. A camera dangles around the neck of one of the men. They look like tourists, but Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiger
Starting point is 00:12:11 are officers of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence service, and they're not here to sightsee, but to conduct sabotage and surveillance. Both men's eyes remain fixed on the revolving door of the hotel on the opposite side of the street. A balding man in a blue shirt exits. It's their mark. Sergei Skripal. Mishkin angles his camera towards Skripal and takes a series of photographs. Then, at a generous distance, they follow him as he meanders through Prague's bustling, narrow streets, occasionally checking his surroundings. The two men pause and watch as Skripal presses the buzzer on the front door of the offices of
Starting point is 00:12:55 the Czech intelligence service. Mishkin takes another flurry of photographs. Skripal disappears inside the building. Mishkin and Chepiga loiter for a moment When it becomes clear Skripal is not about to exit again they walk on gazing up at the intricate architecture above them while retracing their steps
Starting point is 00:13:18 back to their hotel To be continued... Skripal is enjoying an afternoon rendezvous with his former MI6 handler, Sebastian. Sebastian also lives in the city, and after the death of Skripal's wife, the two men have become close, meeting once a month for a catch-up lunch. They sit at the far end of the restaurant and talk in hushed pitter-patter Russian, falling quiet as a waitress approaches. Gentlemen, lovely to see you both again. What can I get you today? We've eaten already, actually. A cappuccino and a cup of tea will do us fine. Of course, I'll be right back with them. Let me take these for you. The waitress takes their menus and wine glasses. Skripal relaxes. He is dressed up for the occasion, wearing a smart, open-collar shirt.
Starting point is 00:14:23 He looks unrecognizable from the photograph taken at his trial. You look well, my friend. How is Yulia? Thank you. She is well, living in Moscow with her boyfriend. It is serious, then? I think so. She's becoming broody. Sebastian studies Skripal's face, looking for clues as to how he might feel about his daughter's deepening romantic attachment. Skripal catches his friend's interest. I am happy for her. Babies, they bring hope. Our family could use some of that after the past few years.
Starting point is 00:14:55 Do you miss Moscow? Not every day. The two men sit in quiet reflection as the waitress brings them their drinks. Here you go. Before she leaves, she looks at him. Did I overhear you speaking Russian before? Are you visiting? Scribble glances at Sebastian, feeling suddenly exposed by her innocent question.
Starting point is 00:15:18 He quickly gains his composure. I live here. The waitress looks confused then. When she realises her customer isn't going to elaborate, she smiles sweetly and walks off with the tray. Sebastian leans forward, concernedly. Everything okay? I think I am being watched.
Starting point is 00:15:37 She was just being friendly. I think she might be Polish, probably homesick. None her. I've just felt it recently. The old instinct. That feeling never goes away, I don't think. But Sergei, seriously, you have a presidential pardon. It was a negotiated prisoner swap. Putin is reckless, but to renege on that deal would jeopardize all future exchanges. Besides, I don't think Russia is unduly concerned about your
Starting point is 00:16:05 infiltration of... what was it you said again? Salisbury Railway Social Club? Skripal scans the restaurant, only half listening to Sebastian's assurances. Perhaps. February 2018, Salisbury. Sergei Skripal sips from a cup of tea in the living room of his neighbours, Ross and Mo Cassidy. He looks downcast. Ross tries to lighten the mood. Tear up, mate. Isn't your daughter coming soon? Skripal nods quietly. You don't want her to see you like this.
Starting point is 00:16:41 Skripal stares at his shoes. My family. What do we do to deserve all this misfortune? It's approaching the first anniversary of the death of Skripal's son, Sasha. After a lengthy battle with alcoholism, the 43-year-old collapsed and died during a weekend break to St. Petersburg. The Russian authorities claimed the post-mortem found Sasha died of liver failure brought on by his drinking. In his darker moments, Skripal wonders if this was true. Moe shuffles along the sofa and places her hand on his arm. You have your beautiful daughter, and your guinea pigs, and your lovely house,
Starting point is 00:17:22 and we're here for you whenever you need a proper cup of tea. Thank you. You're right, it's just... Sometimes it is difficult seeing my country on the news always in such a bad light. Putin this, Putin that. He'll be gone soon enough. You know what they say.
Starting point is 00:17:39 Every politician's career ends in failure. Putin is not a politician. And what if he gets to me first? Ross and Mo exchange a concerned glance. Sergei, I'm not sure what you did and you don't need to tell us, but with all due respect, I think your country has bigger issues than an expat living in a suburban house in Salisbury. For the first time, Skripal's face breaks into a smile. Cassidy, seeing his gentle jibes are beginning to work, continues the theme. I mean, I don't know what secret mission you've been training those guinea pigs for,
Starting point is 00:18:12 or why you're building those Airfix models, but my guess is you're not Russian intelligence's top priority. The three friends laugh together. How about another cuppa? A few days later, Skripal's home, Salisbury. Skripal jumps as his new dumb phone rings. Last week he traded in his expensive smartphone after becoming convinced it was being used to track his movements.
Starting point is 00:18:39 The basic Nokia model can only send and receive texts and calls. Hello? It's his daughter, Yulia, calling from the apartment she shares with her boyfriend in Moscow. My darling, how are you? Good, good. Yes, I'm well. Excited for your visit. Do you know what time you land? In a couple of days, Yulia will fly into London Heathrow.
Starting point is 00:19:04 Skripal's neighbour, Ross Cassidy, has agreed to drive him to collect her from the airport and bring them back to Salisbury, where she will stay with him for a while. Her impending visit has helped to take Skripal's mind off his concerns about being followed. Still, he notices she sounds distracted on the other end of the line. Is there someone with you? Yulia explains that there are workmen in the apartment. She and her boyfriend are renovating the place. Make sure you tell them to take off their shoes.
Starting point is 00:19:37 No, I didn't see the photos. Sorry, I recently changed my phone. I don't think you can do picture messages. Well, all the more reason to get here safely. Then you can show me the photos yourself. Yes, I understand. Wait, I will meet you at arrivals, okay? Yes, okay, okay, go, go. And please, be safe.
Starting point is 00:20:03 Skripal hangs up the phone with a sigh. He glances toward the sideboard at the photograph of his and Ludmilla's wedding day. Life charges on. March 2nd, 2018. Gatwick Airport. GRU officers Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepika unbuckle their seatbelts as their Aeroflot plane from Moscow comes to a standstill. The two were assigned to travel to Britain yesterday evening. They are posing as tourists on a sightseeing trip and travelling under fake names. Their tickets were hastily bought, their bags hastily packed. It was freezing when the two men left Moscow, and they're dressed for cold weather, with woolly hats and walking boots.
Starting point is 00:20:54 Mishkin reaches up to retrieve his case from the overhead locker. As he does, another passenger jerks their own bag down, almost knocking it into his arm. Mishkin winces. He gingerly lifts the small suitcase down, taking care not to knock it against the backs of the seats. He takes shallow breaths, shielding the bag with his body while exchanging a glance with his fellow traveller. Inside the case, nestled inside Mishkin's toiletries bag, is a specially made bottle.
Starting point is 00:21:34 Small enough to carry as hand luggage, it is disguised as a vial of Nina Rishi's Premier Jure perfume. But this counterfeit bottle doesn't contain perfume. It actually contains 5.5 millilitres of the military-grade nerve agent Novichok. It's enough to kill everyone on the plane and in the airport besides. Thank you for flying with us. Mishkin and Chepiger wend their way through the airport's warren of corridors, following the sign toward passport control. They join the line for non-EU passport holders.
Starting point is 00:22:12 After a few minutes, Mishkin reaches the front of the queue. The passport control officer beckons Mishkin forward toward the booth. Mishkin slides his passport under the shatterproof glass, saying nothing. He concentrates on taking deep, quiet breaths. Anything not to arouse undue suspicion. He has visited Britain before, but this is the first time he's done so with an illegal chemical weapon nestled inside his baggage. What's the purpose of your visit? Sightseeing. Anything nice? Big Ben. Towerbridge. Salisbury Cathedral. The passport control officer scans the passport, checks the computer screen, then looks between Mishkin
Starting point is 00:22:51 and the photograph printed inside the document. Mishkin returns his gaze impassively. Finally, the passport officer shunts the passport back under the glass and waves Mishkin on. Have a good day.
Starting point is 00:23:07 A few minutes later, Mishkin is joined by Chebiga. Mishkin feels a wave of relief. They have made it into the UK, carrying the world's deadliest known nerve agent in their hand luggage. And in less than 48 hours' time, they will be putting this weapon to use. March 4th, 2018. 11.58am. Christy Miller Road, Salisbury. GRU officers Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepiga
Starting point is 00:23:53 emerge from a quiet alley and onto an empty cul-de-sac. It's ten minutes since they arrived at Salisbury on a train from London, and they don't intend to stay long. They walk quickly, already familiar with their route, having visited the city the previous day on a reconnaissance mission. The pair stop outside Sergei Skripal's house. In a gloved hand, Mishkin holds a perfume spray applicator that contains the Novichok.
Starting point is 00:24:21 On the pavement, Cepica pretends to check his phone, while Mishkin approaches Skripal's front door. From behind, it looks as though Mishkin is posting a leaflet through Skripal's letterbox. Using his body as a shield, he carefully squirts some of the liquid in the bottle onto the door handle. Mishkin rejoins Chepiger on the pavement, where he pulls his baseball cap down over his eyes. The two men continue down the road. Mishkin tosses the fake perfume bottle, still half full of liquid, into a charity clothes bin. As they head back toward the railway station, the two men pass under a CCTV camera mounted on a lamppost in
Starting point is 00:25:05 Fisherton Street. At 10 to 2 in the afternoon, the two GIU agents wordlessly board the train back to London. They have been in Salisbury for just two hours. 90 minutes later, Zizi Restaurant, Salisbury City Centre. After enjoying their first meal out since she arrived in England, Yulia Skripal and her father relax at the local branch of a popular chain of Italian restaurants. Yulia swipes at her phone screen, proudly showing her father photographs of the apartment she shares with her boyfriend back in Moscow. What do you think of the wallpaper? I like it if you like it, my dear. That's hardly a ringing endorsement, Dad.
Starting point is 00:25:50 Skripal smiles lovingly at his daughter. She has endured so much loss, of her mother, of her brother, of the life she could have had if things had gone differently for him. Life goes on, does it not? Things could be a lot worse, Dad. Salisbury isn't paradise, but it is pretty. And you have a home and an income. Skripal smiles weakly. Yulia kisses her father on the cheek, then quickly recoils. Gosh, you are burning up.
Starting point is 00:26:18 Are you sick? I do feel hot. Dad, what is happening with your eyes? My eyes? Your pupils, they're tiny. Skripal suddenly feels woozy and nauseous. He tries to focus on his daughter's face and notices that she also looks pale. The pupils of her eyes have narrowed to pinpricks.
Starting point is 00:26:37 I don't feel too good. Yulia rubs her eyes. Oh, me too. Perhaps it was the chicken. Let's get out of here. Waiter, the bill please. That evening, Thames House, central London. The doors of a busy office floor at MI5's Riverfront headquarters burst open and a group of senior managers rush in.
Starting point is 00:27:05 These senior officers have spent the day at an off-site management meeting. Some had already returned to their homes. Then word came in that a retired, resettled MI6 agent had been rushed to hospital in a critical condition. One of the managers hurries to the desk of the officer who is liaising with those on the ground in Salisbury. What do the medical staff say? Paramedics assumed it was an overdose.
Starting point is 00:27:28 Of a father and daughter? I suspect they've seen everything. Anyway, they assumed it was fentanyl and administered naloxone. I spoke to Skripal's case officer. He is not an addict. Where did they take them? Intensive care.
Starting point is 00:27:43 They need to be solitary. Whatever this is, it mustn't spread. The manager pauses, rapidly running through potential scenarios in his mind. And if this was intentional, and if they survive, whoever's done it could come back. To the hospital? Wouldn't be the first time. We need a firearms unit on the doors of their room.
Starting point is 00:28:05 Shouldn't we wait until we know what this is? No. Take precautions first. We can always scale things back later. For all we know, this could be another Libyan Yanko. Wondery Plus subscribers can binge full seasons of The Spy Who early and ad-free on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. From Wondery, this is the third episode in our series, The Spy Who Putin Poisoned.
Starting point is 00:28:40 A quick note about our dialogue. We can't know everything that was said or done behind closed doors, but our scenes are written using the best available sources. Some scenes or conversations have been created for dramatic effect. We've used various sources to make this series, including The Scribble Files by Mark Urban and Bellingcat's Investigations into the Poisonings of the Scribbles. The Spy Who is hosted by me, Raza Jafri. Our show is produced by Vespucci, Thank you. For Vespucci, our senior producers are Natalia Rodriguez and Philippa Gearing.
Starting point is 00:29:27 Our sound designer, Matt Peaty. Rachel Byrne is the supervising producer. Music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Frizz and Sync. Executive producers for Vespucci are Johnny Galvin and Daniel Turkin. Executive producer for Yellow Ant is Tristan Donovan. Our producer for Wondery is Theodora Louloudis. And our managing producer is Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne, Morgan Jones and Marshall Louis.

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