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Yulia Skripal, poisoned daughter of ex-Russian spy, discharged from hospital

Yulia Skripal, poisoned daughter of ex-Russian spy, discharged from hospital
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The daughter of a former Russian spy who was poisoned alongside her father in Britain last month has been discharged from the hospital, an official from the hospital said Tuesday.

Yulia Skripal and her father Sergei Skripal were found slumped on a bench on March 4 in the English city of Salisbury after being exposed to a military-grade nerve agent, British authorities said.

The UK government blamed Russia for the attack, but Moscow has denied any involvement.

Yulia Skripal regained consciousness in late March and released a statement last week thanking those who treated her and father and those who had sent "messages of goodwill."

"Yulia has asked for privacy from the media and I want to reiterate that request," Salisbury District Hospital medical director Christine Blanshard said Tuesday. "I also want to take this opportunity to wish Yulia well. This is not the end of her treatment, but marks a significant milestone."

Blanshard added that Sergei Skripal's condition was still improving, albeit at a slower pace than Yulia.

"Her father has also made good progress," Blanshard said. "On Friday, I announced that he was no longer in a critical condition. Although he is recovering more slowly than Yulia, we hope that he too will be able to leave hospital in due course."

London's Metropolitan Police refused to comment on whether Yulia Skripal was receiving police protection following her release from the hospital.

In a tweet, the Russian embassy in the UK said: "We congratulate Yulia Skripal on her recovery. Yet we need urgent proof that what is being done to her is done on her own free will."