US hits Russia with sanctions over nerve agent attack in Britain

The United States said today it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a "lethal" nerve agent in an attempted assassination in Britain.

The United States said today it was imposing new sanctions on Russia, as it accused the government in Moscow of using a "lethal" nerve agent in an attempted assassination in Britain.

The State Department said the sanctions were in response to "the use of a 'Novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate UK citizen Sergei Skripal" -- a former Russian double agent -- and his daughter Yulia in March.

"The government of the Russian Federation has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The new sanctions, details of which were not released, were to take effect following a 15-day Congressional notification period, she said.

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