Salisbury novichok attack board game on sale in Russia
Fury in the British tabloids - but is Our Men in Salisbury a hoax?
The British press has responded with outrage to a Russian board game called Our Men in Salisbury, in which players re-enact the journey of the two Russian military intelligence officers accused of carrying out the Salisbury Novichok attack.
Following in the footsteps of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, “players compete to evade police and be the fastest to travel through Europe to Wiltshire,” says the BBC. The finish line is illustrated with pictures of men in haz-mat suits.
Former Russian spy turned British double agent Sergei Skripal, 67, and his 34-year-old daughter Yulia were both hospitalised close to death after coming into contact with the deadly nerve agent on 4 March last year, in an apparent attempted assassination.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Police sergeant Nick Bailey also required medical treatment for exposure to novichok. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died weeks later after she and her partner, Charlie Rowley, came into contact with a discarded vial that officials believe was used to transport the deadly substance.
However, the game’s co-creator shrugged off the suggestion that the Salisbury poisonings were an unsuitable subject for light-hearted entertainment.
Mikhail Bober, development manager at game maker Igroland, said the game was “a humorous answer for our Western neighbours” to perceived Russophobia in the aftermath of the poisonings. The Kremlin has emphatically denied involvement in the incident.
The news has met with a predictably frosty welcome among in the tabloid press, with The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the London Evening Standard all opting for “vile” in their description of the game.
“Other Russian firms have previously attempted to capitalise on the Salisbury by producing t-shirts and even a craft beer under the name ‘Novichok’,” says The Daily Telegraph.
However, actually finding a copy of the game has proven a tall order, leading some to suggest the story is nothing more than a provocative hoax.
Our Men in Salisbury is listed for sale on Russian online store Galamart as part of a multipack of six games. Home delivery is listed as ‘unavailable’, but shoppers can reserve a copy for collection from multiple stores listed as having the product in stock.
However, the Telegraph reports that a source dispatched to the Moscow store advertised as selling the game could not find any copies on the shelves. A sales assistant in the store said the game had “probably sold out already”.
The Salisbury Journal notes that Kremlin-backed news website Russia Today, which first publicised the board game, itself “sent out chocolate models of Salisbury Cathedral as its corporate Christmas gift”.
“There is no evidence online that any such game has yet gone on sale,” the Journal says, suggesting that the story may be “another publicity stunt” by the Kremlin designed to mock the UK.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Hugh Corcoran and The Yellow Bittern: is the customer really always right?
Talking Point A new London restaurant has caused controversy by complaining about customer eating habits
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
When is an offensive social media post a crime?
The Explainer UK legal system walks a 'difficult tightrope' between defending free speech and prosecuting hate speech
By The Week UK Published
-
Women are getting their own baseball league again
In the Spotlight The league is on track to debut in 2026
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published