In going public as the Russian men accused by London of carrying out deadly poisonings on English soil, Ruslan Boshirov and Aleksandr Petrov both expressed and generated disbelief at the same time.
Their first public appearance, a September 12 interview with the Kremlin-funded RT channel, contained a few head-scratchers.
Famous Cathedral?
While the two admitted that they were in Salisbury, England -- where former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were found unconscious on a park bench on March 4 -- they gave a somewhat unconventional answer for making the effort to visit.
Their reason for traveling a quarter of the way across the globe to see Salisbury? To see the southern English town's cathedral.
"Our friends recommended a long time ago that we visit that wonderful city," the man identifying himself as Petrov told RT. Boshirov added that the two wanted to see the "famous" cathedral's 123-meter spire and clock.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
It was a suggestion that many on social media, including Intercept investigative reporter Ryan Gallagher, weren't buying:
I joked yesterday that they would say this, I can%27t believe they are seriously claiming they did a 4,000 mile round trip from Moscow to see Salisbury cathedral & just happened to be in town the day Skripal was poisoned. What an absolute farce. https://t.co/Tcq04GMf56
— Ryan Gallagher (@rj_gallagher) September 13, 2018
Some, like Telegraph Russia correspondent Alec Luhn, responded in all seriousness, noting London's allegation that the two men are officers with Russia's military intelligence agency:
I think this may close the debate over GRU professionalism: The alleged Skripal hitmen%27s alibi is literally that they came to see the "famous Salisbury cathedral" pic.twitter.com/7rjsrf1A8q
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) September 13, 2018
And others, like freelance journalist Ned Donovan, mocked the statement with a string of mocking and satirical comments such as this:
“Ruslan has never been a great fan of Elias of Dereham’s architecture, but I had to convince him that you wouldn’t find a better example of a cloister in Western Europe.” pic.twitter.com/kROEcrXUEj
— Ned Donovan (@Ned_Donovan) September 13, 2018
John Glen, a conservative member of parliamen from Salisbury itself, chimed in on Twitter:
Delighted that Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Borishov were able to see the world-class attractions that #Salisbury has to offer. But very strange to come all this way for just two days while carrying Novichok in their luggage. (1/2)
— John Glen MP (@JohnGlenUK) September 13, 2018
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt called the two out on their travel claim:
Poor Russian guys. Just flies to UK and want to see nothing there but the cathedral in Salisbury. Do two very quick trips there and then immediately fly back to Moscow. By sheer coincidence Skripal was poisoned when they did their cathedral sightseeing.... Try another one! pic.twitter.com/azH8irFkKb
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) September 13, 2018
The cathedral itself, to be fair, defended its honor.
Salisbury Cathedral’s spire is the tallest in Britain, reaching the impressive height of 123m! It is no wonder that it can be seen for miles around and plays such a significant part of the surrounding landscape.Photograph by Ash Mills pic.twitter.com/NbfcSwGjVg
— Salisbury Cathedral (@SalisburyCath) September 13, 2018
Russians Who Never Saw Slush?
Boshirov and Petrov went on to explain that they had also expected to visit other nearby attractions, but their plans were thwarted.
"Of course, we went there to see Stonehenge, Old Sarum, but we couldn’t do it because there was muddy slush everywhere," they told RT. "The town was covered by this slush. We got wet, took the nearest train and came back [to London]."
Doubt was soon cast.
CCTV footage of what appear to be the two walking in Salisbury on the day of the poisoning show little signs of slush or snow, as Max Seddon, Moscow correspondent for The Financial Times, pointed out on Twitter.
Seriously, @M_Simonyan, did you challenge them on this ridiculous claim? Where is the muddy slush in this footage? pic.twitter.com/MNDbXfJ2jd
— max seddon (@maxseddon) September 13, 2018
Author and journalist Guy Walters did note there was snow in the area, but wondered why that would have deterred the two, offering photographic evidence of a Salisbury man dealing with the natural phenomenon:
Pictured are the incredibly harsh conditions in Salisbury on 3 March that stopped two able-bodied men who had come all the way from Russia walking 0.7 miles to the cathedral. See how a man of similar age risks his life and those of his two teenage sons on a street ½ a mile away. pic.twitter.com/7VEU7Wx0yz
— Guy Walters (@guywalters) September 13, 2018
Walters also highlighted that the weather conditions apparently did not deter the two from walking an even greater distance to the Srkipal home, which they said in the interview that they might have approached.
The statement by the #skripal suspects is glorious. The city was so %27covered in snow%27 that they couldn%27t walk 0.7 miles to Salisbury Cathedral, but they could walk over a mile to Christie Miller road, in completely the opposite direction. Poor lambs, they clearly got really lost! pic.twitter.com/Qd7XzGAiC9
— Guy Walters (@guywalters) September 13, 2018
Carrying Perfume?
SEE ALSO: Russian Novichok Suspects Claim They Visited Salisbury As Tourists"Isn't it silly for decent lads to have women’s perfume?" Boshirov asked, addressing the allegations that the two had carried a Soviet-produced nerve agent allegedly used in the Skripal poisonings in a Nina Ricci perfume box, and smeared some of the contents on the front door of Sergei Skripal's Salisbury home.
"The customs are checking everything. They would have questions as to why men have women’s perfume in their luggage. We didn’t have it."
Telegraph correspondent Luhn was brief in response:
Yep, that just about closes the case:Boshirov: Isn%27t it silly for a normal man to carry women%27s perfume? pic.twitter.com/CdebJFdp3m
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) September 13, 2018
Sports Research?
The two suspects portrayed themselves as businessmen who work in “sports nutrition” and often travel together around Europe, having once spent New Year's in Switzerland.
"We examine the market, look if there is something new – some biologically active additives, amino acids, vitamins, microelements .... We pick up the most necessary, come here and decide how to deliver the new products from this market here.”
That, too, raised eyebrows, including those of James Longman, a correspondent with the U.S. network ABC.
After an intense grilling over their involvement in the Skripal case, Russia Today interviewer finally gets the truth out of the suspects on what they do fora living"To cut a long story short, we are in the fitness industry." https://t.co/TWBxTr5eSk
— James Longman (@JamesAALongman) September 13, 2018