Holding a DIFFERENT bottle back then! Does photo show Novichok hitman as waiter in St Petersburg bistro while he studied at military school in 2000?
- Salisbury suspected was unmasked as GRU doctor Alexander Mishkin last week
- Now former colleagues say they worked with him when he was a wine waiter
- They claimed he waited tables while studying to become a military doctor
- Russian TV channel unearths photo of alleged agent clutching bottle of red
A Russian agent accused of carrying out the Salisbury novichok attack previously worked as a wine waiter at a top restaurant, former friends have claimed.
Last week, the assassin previously named as ‘Alexander Petrov’ was unmasked as Alexander Miskin, a GRU agent who has received a ‘Hero of Russia’ medal.
Old colleagues say they worked alongside him at the ‘Garcon Garcon’ restaurant in St Petersburg while he was training to become a military doctor.
Investigators at the website Bellingcat, who first exposed Mishkin, said he was born in a remote town in northern Russia but went on to study at the prestigious Kirov Military Medical Academy, St Petersburg.
Former workers at the Garcon Garcon bistro said he did shifts serving wine and food at the eatery to support himself during his studies, Russian news site Dozhd TV reported.
A photo said to show novichok suspect Alexander Mishkin working as a wine waiter in 2000. Former colleagues recognised him and alerted Russian TV channel Dozhd
It comes after Alexander Mishkin was named as the suspect previous referred to as ‘Petrov’
One former colleague went on Facebook after Mishkin, still using the name Petrov, appeared Russia’s RT channel and claimed he was just a tourist visiting Salisbury for the cathedral.
The friend wrote: ‘I remember in the Garcon Garcon, year 2000, [he] worked as a waiter… as far as I can remember, studying for a doctor.’
Another woman posted underneath: ‘Remembered! Sasha Mishkin!’
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Sasha is a Russian nickname for people called Alexander.
This weekend, after Petrov was revealed to be Mishkin, the former colleague went back online to write: ‘Indeed, Sasha Mishkin. Of course, it doesn’t really matter, but it’s still surprising.’
Bellingcat said Mishkin started studying in St Petersburg ‘no later than 2001’, suggesting he could have been in the city at the time the other restaurant workers claim he was.
Investigators claim the man pictured on CCTV from Salisbury is GRU agent Alexander Miskin
Dozht TV, the channel which uncovered the picture, has previously been described as ‘Russia’s only independent television channel’ by The Guardian.
It was founded in 2010 by the businessman Aleksandr Vinokurov and Natalia Sindeeva.
Last year, the channel announced a partnership with the BBC to aid the corporation’s coverage from the country.
The picture emerged after Russia’s ambassador to the UK accused Britain of waging an ‘aggressive anti-Russian campaign’ which has left relations between the two countries at a ‘very low level’.
During a lengthy press conference at the embassy in London on Friday, Alexander Yakovenko dismissed his country’s involvement in the Salisbury nerve agent incident.
Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko claimed the men could well have been tourists
Vladimir Putin described Skripal as a ‘traitor’ and a ‘scumbag’ but denies Russia was involved
Mr Yakovenko insisted there was no reason to doubt the alleged assassin’s claims they were innocent tourists on a visit to Salisbury when the attack on Mr Skripal took place.
‘We have the official statement of these people and we do not have any reason not to trust them,’ he said.
He repeated Russian claims that Bellingcat was simply a tool of the ‘British special services’.
‘Bellingcat is not the media. This is the tool of the deep establishment to leak certain things,’ he said.
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