Report: ‘Retired’ Spy May Still Have Been Working When Poisoned

As anger grows in the U.K. over the attempted murder of a former Russian spy on British soil, a report has claimed “retired” Sergei Skripal—who remains critically ill in hospital after Sunday’s attack—may have been still carrying out freelance intelligence work. Citing British security sources, The Independent reported investigators are exploring the possibility that Skripal may have attracted negative attention in Russia as a result of carrying out freelance work for private intelligence firms run by former British spies. Those firms include Orbis, which is run by Christopher Steele, who compiled the infamous Trump/Russia dossier. However, a source close to Orbis said though Skripal didn’t work on that document, they couldn’t rule out that he had worked on other investigations revolving around the U.S. president. Police said Thursday that a total of 21 people were affected by the attack on Skripal, including his daughter and a British police officer who also remain in a hospital.