Russian embassy 'trolls' UK on Twitter with picture of Salisbury Island

russia, novichok
AFP/Getty Images
Nick Charity9 September 2018

The Russian Embassy in the UK has been slammed for "trolling" after posting a picture of an arctic wasteland called Salisbury Island.

The ambassador to Britain's Twitter account posted the image at 1am on Saturday.

After the embassy chose the frozen island this morning for its round of "good morning" images from around Russia, one tweeter said the post was "latrine-level trolling."

Another said the picture was "insensitive".

"Never going to to Russia in my life after seeing how this account acts," added the Twitter user. "You’re supposed to be promoting all the good parts of Russia, food culture etc. But instead you’re spreading conspiracy theories and mocking dead people. Shame on you."

The tweet was made days after the Government made a fresh attack against Russia, claiming the "highest levels of the Russian state" were behind the Novichok attack in Wiltshire.

Russian authorities have repeatedly denied any knowledge of the attack, and said the faces of the two spies suspected of carrying out the operation "Mean nothing to them".

Officials at the Embassy have been forced to deny claims that the Russian government has been behind close to 40 "fictitious narratives" for the attack.

The Times reported on Friday that the government had examined numerous fake narratives believed to be propounded by the Russian state, including the assertion that Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess were poisoned by the British to ruin Russia's World Cup, the poisoning was a suicide attempt and that the novichok came from nearby government labs at Porton Down.

In response to the clams, the Embassy said: "These reports are themselves fictitious."

The Embassy made claims on Tuesday, just prior to the government's revelations about the case on Wednesday that Sergei and Yulia Skripal have been held in isolation by the British authorities, and calling for their release.

"They remain out of the public eye at an unknown location, unable to communicate freely with their relatives, friends, journalists or Russian officials, deprived of the freedom of movement. "The de-facto deprivation of liberty of the Skripals is highly questionable from the point of view of observance of their rights."

The Russian Embassy was approached for further comment but is yet to respond.

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