Kathrine Frich
The 2018 Salisbury poisoning shocked the world, when a Russian nerve agent was used in a brazen attack on British soil.
Former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter narrowly survived, but the incident sparked a global backlash and a diplomatic crisis with Moscow.
Since then, “Salisbury” has become shorthand for covert attacks designed to spread fear far beyond their victims.
Stark warning
Exiled Russian businessman and opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky has warned that Russia could carry out an attack in the United Kingdom similar to the 2018 Salisbury poisoning.
In an interview with The Guardian cited by Digi24, he said such an operation would aim to create fear rather than simply eliminate a target.
“The aim […] would not just be to get rid of certain people, but to create a sense of vulnerability in the West. As happened in Salisbury,” he said.
Targeting Britain
Khodorkovsky argued that the UK has become a primary focus for the Kremlin.
“He has chosen the United Kingdom as his main enemy,” he said, referring to President Vladimir Putin.
He suggested that Russian intelligence services could attempt new forms of covert action designed to destabilize Western societies.
Broader pressure
The former oil tycoon also predicted that Moscow could increase military pressure on NATO’s eastern flank.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the near future, we see troops massed on the border with [NATO member] Estonia,” he said.
He added that such moves would likely be intended as a show of strength rather than the start of a full-scale conflict.
Strategy debate
Khodorkovsky said Western governments may need to adopt a more aggressive stance to deter further actions.
“If we think about the 1950s and 1960s… it dissipated quite quickly, which was achieved by simply applying the principle of ‘an eye for an eye,’” he said.
However, he questioned whether modern Western societies would support such an approach.
Long-standing conflict
Khodorkovsky, once one of Russia’s richest men, was imprisoned for a decade after challenging Putin and now lives in exile in the UK.
He warned that tensions between Russia and the West are unlikely to ease soon, suggesting a prolonged period of confrontation.
At the same time, he argued that the current Russian system may not endure indefinitely, predicting significant changes in the years ahead.
Sources: The Guardian, Digi24
