Daughter of ex-Russian spy released from hospital after exposure to nerve agent

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were hospitalized March 4 after they were found slumped on a park bench in Salisbury, according to BBC News. British officials have said they were exposed to the nerve agent Novichok in what has been described as an assassination attempt by the Russian government.

A police officer was also exposed to Novichok and hospitalized, although officials with Salisbury District Hospital said he was released March 22.

Russian officials have denied playing any role in the attack.

“(The Skripals) have responded exceptionally well to the treatment we’ve been providing, but equally, both patients are at different stages in their recovery,” Dr. Christine Blanshard, medical director of Salisbury District Hospital, said Tuesday in a statement.

Yulia Skripal, 33, was discharged Monday and taken to a secure location, the Salisbury Journal reported.

“This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone,” Blanshard said.

Sergei Skripal, 66, remained hospitalized Tuesday, though Blanshard said his condition continued to improve.

“Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course,” she said.

In a statement released last week by London Metropolitan police, Yulia Skripal asked for privacy for her family and they continue to grapple with the aftermath of the March 4 attack.

“I woke up over a week ago now and am glad to say my strength is growing daily,” she said in the statement, released April 5.

The Russian Embassy congratulated Yulia Skripal on her release in a tweet but said pointedly that Russia needs "urgent proof" that "what is being done to her is done on her own free will."

Sergei Skripal is a former Russian military intelligence officer who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain. He was imprisoned in Russia and eventually settled in England after a "spy swap."

If Britain is correct that the Russian government is to blame, it is not clear why Sergei Skripal was poisoned last month, some eight years after his swap.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.