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Britain has been accused of poisoning Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, in southern England by Russia. According to Russian state TV, this was part of plans meant to disrupt's Russia's hosting of 2018 FIFA World Cup this summer.

66 year old Skripal, and his 33 year old daughter Yulia, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 after been found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping center in the city of Salisbury. 

Russia has continuously distanced itself from suggestions it was responsible for the attempt but a flagship weekly TV news programme ‘Vesti Nedeli,' (News of the week) took a very different approach by turning the accusation the British government. 

"They tried to pin the blame on Russia, but if you think it through the poisoning of the GRU (military intelligence) colonel was only advantageous to the British," Dmitry Kiselyov, the country's top pro-Kremlin presenter said.

"As a source, Skripal was completely wrung out and of little interest. But as a poisoning victim, he is very useful. Why not poison him? It's no big deal. And with his daughter to make it more heart-wrenching for the public."

"An excellent special operation," said Kiselyov. "Skripal is cheap expendable material," he said, and after the special operation Russia would then have to "justify itself."

Following Kiselyov's allegations against Britain, a report  theorized that the unknown nerve agent used in poisoning Skripal and his daughter may have been manufactured in the British military's Porton Down research facility, noting that the factor was merely "a 20-minute drive" from Salisbury.

The report also said Skripal, had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to London and received 100,000 pounds ($138,550.00) as a reward after been recruited by the British when he was working as Russia's military attache in Spain,