I Hope My Friend, Yulia Skripal, Sees This And Reaches Out To Me

Irina Petrova was the best friend of Yulia, who, along with her father, was poisoned earlier this year in Salisbury. Nine months on, Anna Silverman discovers what happened next.

- Anna Silverman

IT’S BEEN A SURREAL YEAR for Irina Petrova: first, her best friend of 27 years, Yulia Skripal, was the victim of an assassination attempt that became one of the biggest global news stories of 2018. Then, she had to adjust to news that Yulia had made a miraculous recovery – yet she might still never get to speak to her again.

‘I’ve phoned and emailed Yulia many times this year,’ says Irina. ‘I email saying, “How can I help you? I’m here for you. It doesn’t matter where you are, I’m always here for you.” But she won’t reply because she has had to disappear.’

On 4 March, Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury after being poisoned by the chemical nerve agent Novichok. Then, four months later, Dawn Sturgess died after being exposed to the same Novichok nerve agent, believed to have come from a discarded perfume bottle.

The assassination attempt shocked the world and left the West’s relations with Moscow colder than ever. It sparked huge global ramifications after Theresa May said it was ‘highly likely’ Moscow was behind it, and more diplomats were expelled from countries around the world than at the height of the Cold War.