Vladimir Putin has taunted Britain after Sergei Skripal's release from hospital - suggesting the Russian spy would have "died on the spot" if he had been attacked with a military-grade toxin.
Mr Skripal is being protected by 24-hour armed guard at an MI5 safe house after leaving hospital earlier this week, sources have revealed.
The 66-year-old, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were admitted to Salisbury District Hospital along with Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey after being exposed to the nerve agent in March, reports Daily Mail.
Britain has accused Russia of being behind the poisoning, saying it was caused by a type of nerve agent known as Novichok which was developed in the Soviet Union.
Putin wished Skripal "good health" during a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today. But he added: "God grant him good health... If a military-grade poison had been used, the man would have died on the spot. Thank God he recovered and that he left (hospital)."
Putin then accused Britain of failing to respond to the Kremlin's offer of help with the investigation. "We have several times offered our British partners any necessary assistance in the investigation (of the poisoning). So far we have received no response. Our offer remains open," he said.
Mr Skripal, who nearly died after being exposed to the deadly nerve agent novichok, was discharged earlier this week and was whisked to an undisclosed location.
Former spy Sergei Skripal shops at a store in Salisbury, England. Photo / AP
His daughter Yulia, who was also poisoned and left gravely ill, left hospital last month.
Today, Russia's ambassador to the UK stepped up demands to be allowed to see the pair, suggesting they may be being detained by the British state.
Alexander Yakovenko said the pair were "isolated", adding: "You can call it kidnap."
He welcomed the announcement that former spy Mr Skripal had been discharged from hospital. But Mr Yakovenko has claimed the UK is violating international law by not granting access to the Skripals.
Putin then accused Britain of failing to respond to the Kremlin's offer of help with the investigation. "We have several times offered our British partners any necessary assistance in the investigation (of the poisoning). So far we have received no response. Our offer remains open," he said.
Mr Skripal, who nearly died after being exposed to the deadly nerve agent novichok, was discharged earlier this week and was whisked to an undisclosed location.
His daughter Yulia, who was also poisoned and left gravely ill, left hospital last month.
Today, Russia's ambassador to the UK stepped up demands to be allowed to see the pair, suggesting they may be being detained by the British state.
Alexander Yakovenko said the pair were "isolated", adding: "You can call it kidnap."
He welcomed the announcement that former spy Mr Skripal had been discharged from hospital. But Mr Yakovenko has claimed the UK is violating international law by not granting access to the Skripals.
The 1963 Vienna Convention gives consular officials access rights if one of their nationals is in prison, custody or detention.
Setting out Moscow's interpretation of the case, he said: "We are saying that they are isolated because we don't have access to them.
"This is our interpretation. You can call it detained, you can call it isolated, you can call it kidnap. Unless we see them it is difficult to make a conclusion."
He acknowledged that the Foreign Office had told him they did not interpret the situation in the same way and added, "I got the impression that we will never see them."
Mr Yakovenko said: "If it was really Novichok and they were poisoned by Novichok, the consequences would be very serious. My question was how they survived from Novichok."
At a press conference at his official residence in London after Mr Skripal was discharged, Mr Yakovenko said "we are happy that he is all right".
He added: "We are still demanding access to these people. We want to understand how they feel.
"We want them to tell (us) personally what they want. If they don't want our assistance, that's fine, but we want to see them physically."
Mr Yakovenko criticised the Government's attitude towards Moscow, highlighting Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson's comment that Russia should "go away and shut up".
The ambassador said: "We in Russia, we know the price of words. You will never hear from our minister of defence 'Britain should shut up'. It's impossible."
Mr Yakovenko, who was likened to the Iraqi propaganda chief known as Comical Ali during a parliamentary meeting with MPs and peers this week, said he had been given an apology by some lords.
"A few people from the House of Lords came to me yesterday and they apologised for the statements of the MPs," he said.
"They know the price of words, they know how the ambassador of a big country should be treated."
Earlier today, a source told Mailonline Mr Skripal was released from hospital a few days ago "and was taken to a safehouse owned by the security services".
"These safehouses are distributed all over the country so he could be anywhere, it may be miles away from the Salisbury area.
"We don't know whether he has even been in touch with his daughter Yulia since leaving hospital.
"But rest assured he will be under armed guard 24-hours a day for the foreseeable future."
Skripal and his daughter were found unconscious in Salisbury on March 4, and spent weeks in critical condition.
The hospital confirmed on Friday that all three patients had now been discharged.
Treatment of such patients involves "stabilising them, keeping them alive until their bodies could produce more enzymes to replace those that had been poisoned", it said in a statement.
Lorna Wilkinson, director of nursing at the hospital, said: "We have been able to discharge Sergei Skripal.
"This is an important stage in his recovery, which will now take place away from the hospital.
"Treating him and the other two people poisoned by this nerve agent, while still providing outstanding care to the other patients who rely on our hospital, has been a huge and unprecedented challenge that I'm proud our staff at Salisbury Hospital have risen to."
Salisbury District Hospital chief executive, Cara Charles-Barks, said: "It is fantastic news that Sergei Skripal is well enough to leave Salisbury District Hospital.
"That he, Yulia and DS Bailey have been able to leave us so soon after coming into contact with this nerve agent is thanks to the hard work, skill and professionalism of our clinicians, who provide outstanding care to all our patients, day in and day out.
"This has been a difficult time for those caught up in this incident - the patients, our staff and the people of Salisbury.
"I want to thank the public for their support, and I want to pay a special tribute to both the clinical staff here at the trust and those who work so hard behind the scenes.
"They've demonstrated the very best of the NHS."
Detectives from the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing network released a statement saying they continues to "investigate the attempted murders of Sergei and Yulia Skripal".
It said: "They are both making good progress and we are pleased that Mr Skripal has now also been released from hospital, which was announced by the NHS earlier this morning.
"This is a complex investigation and detectives continue to gather and piece together all the evidence to establish the full facts and circumstances behind this dreadful attack.
"In the interests of Sergei and Yulia's safety, we will not be discussing any protective or security arrangements that are in place."
Meanwhile, Skripal's mother has demanded she be allowed to speak to her son.
Yelena, who has not heard from the former spy since he was poisoned, has told a relative today that she wants to speak to him.
Yelena's carer Viktoria Skripal, who has been twice refused a British visa to see him and her cousin Yulia said: "We have just told the news to his elderly mother who has been waiting for more than two months for any word from him or Yulia," said Viktoria.
"She is begging the hospital, or whoever now decides Sergey's freedom of movement and speech, to please allow him to call her."
The UK government has blamed Russia for the attack, with Prime Minister Theresa May describing the incident as "brazen" and "despicable".
But the Russian government denied any involvement. It has accused the UK of inventing a "fake story".
The PM's official spokeswoman said today: "We welcome the news that staff have determined him well enough to be discharged.
"He was the victim of a horrific attack."
The Skripals were in a critical condition for weeks and doctors at one point feared that, even if they survived, they might have suffered brain damage.
Four locations around the cathedral city in Wiltshire were cordoned off by police after the attack.
These included Zizzi's restaurant and The Mill pub, known to be the last places the Skripals had been before being found comatose on a bench in the Maltings shopping precinct.
Hero police officer DS Nick Bailey, 38, originally came into contact with the deadly nerve agent with alleged ties to Russia when he ran to the aid of the Skripals.
Mr Bailey was the first of the three to be released from hospital, describing it as the worst thing to have ever happened to him in his life.
Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, revealed the Skripals were poisoned with up to 100 milligrams of Novichok.
The attack has lead to a huge clean-up operation taking place in the cathedral city with multiple agencies and military personnel involved.
The cordons have now been released by police, apart from Mr Skripals residence on Christie Miller road.
A large decontamination operation has begun with many items - including the park bench where the Skripals were found - being taken away for destruction.
In 2006 Mr Skripal, a former Russian colonel, was jailed in Russia for 13 years for passing on the identities of Russian spies in Europe to the UK intelligence services.
But in 2010 he was part of a prisoner swap between Moscow and the United States.
Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko welcomed the news that Sergei Skripal had been discharged from hospital and repeated his demand for consular access to the former spy and his daughter Yulia.
At a press conference at his official residence in London he said: "We are happy that he is all right."
He added: "We are still demanding access to these people. We want to understand how they feel.
"We want them to tell (us) personally what they want. If they don't want our assistance, that's fine, but we want to see them physically."
