UPDATE: (10/9/18) As promised, Bellingcat has posted its full report on Dr. Alexander Yevgeniyevich Mishkin, the second Salisbury poison suspect who had been using the alias Alexander Petrov, and reveals Russian President Vladimir Putin, in spite of his claim Petrov was just a civilian, likely knows exactly who Dr. Mishkin is.
In the latter part of 2014, President Putin bestowed Alexander Mishkin with the Hero of the Russian Federation Award. People closely familiar with Mishkin’s family reported to us that they believe Russia’s highest award was given for Mishkin’s activities “either in Crimea or in relation to [former Ukrainian president] Yanukovich”
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For final validation of our amassed findings, Bellingcat’s Russian investigative partner, The Insider, sent a reporter to the village of Loyga. The reporter was able to meet and talk to many residents, who all recognized “Alexander Petrov”, the person shown on photographs released by the British police and seen in the RT interview, as “our local boy” Alexander Mishkin. One person told our reporter that Alexander Mishkin had been her son’s play friend.
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[One source close to Mishkin’s grandmother (who is now in her 90s, and as a former doctor is still revered in the village)] told us that Alexander Mishkin’s grandmother possesses a photograph on which President Putin is shown bestowing the Gold Star medal (which goes with the award) to Alexander, and shaking his hand. The source said the grandmother treasures this photo and does not show it to everyone, and never lets anyone else hold it. Our reporter was not able to talk directly to Petrov’s grandmother or see the photograph.
Full report: Skripal Poisoning Suspect Dr. Alexander Mishkin, Hero of Russia (Bellingcat)
After exposing the true name and GRU role of one Salisbury poison suspect, Bellingcat, an online investigation unit, says it knows the real identity of the second man claiming to be just a citizen in the fitness industry on holiday.
The person travelling under the alias of Ruslan Boshirov was identified as GRU’s Col. Anatoliy Chepiga, recipient of Russia’s highest state award.
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We have now identified “Alexander Petrov” to be in fact Dr. Alexander Yevgenyevich Mishkin, a trained military doctor in the employ of the GRU. Bellingcat’s identification process included multiple open sources, testimony from people familiar with the person, as well as copies of personally identifying documents, including a scanned copy of his passport ...
While Alexander Mishkin’s true persona has an even sparser digital footprint than Anatoliy Chepiga’s, Bellingcat has been able to establish certain key facts from his background.
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Alexander Mishkin ... studied and graduated from one of Russia’s elite Military Medical Academies, and was trained as a military doctor for the Russian naval armed forces.
During his medical studies, Mishkin was recruited by the GRU, and by 2010 had relocated to Moscow, where he received his undercover identity – including a second national ID and travel passport – under the alias Alexander Petrov.
In the period 2011-2018, Alexander Mishkin traveled extensively under his new identity.
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Until early September 2014, Mishkin’s registered home address in Moscow was Khoroshevskoe Shosse 76B – the address of the headquarters of the GRU. In the autumn of 2014, both Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga moved to upscale apartments.
Alexander Mishkin current military rank is unknown. However, based on the known rank as of graduation from the Military Medical Academy (Russian military doctors graduate with a rank of senior lieutenant), and the elapsed time (15 years), it can be posited that as the time of the Skripals’ poisoning incident he was either a Lt. Colonel or a full Colonel ...
Bellingcat says it will have more information in a full report it plans to publish Tuesday.
Second Skripal Poisoning Suspect Identified as Dr. Alexander Mishkin (Bellingcat)