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Britain accuses the Russian state of being responsible for the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal with what it says was a military-grade Novichok nerve agent. Russia denies any involvement. The crisis has led to the worst diplomatic crisis between Russia and Western nations since the Cold War.
Yakovenko was part-way through a news conference at his official residence in London when Yulia Skripal said in a statement issued on her behalf by British police that she had woken up a week ago and her strength was growing daily.
Asked about the statement by a reporter, Yakovenko said: "I am really happy and I hope that Sergei Skripal will also recover. I am quite sure that one day Yulia will come back to Moscow."