Yulia Skripal’s boyfriend may have been involved in the nerve agent attack (Picture: AP)

Yulia Skripal’s fiance has gone into hiding amid claims he works for an organisation with links to Vladimir Putin’s feared intelligence service.

Stepan Vikeev and his mother Tatiana Vikeeva have vanished since the attempted murder of double agent Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter in Salisbury, according to The Mail on Sunday.

Is five-a-side football allowed? What the 'rule of six' means for indoor sports

Moscow security services have claimed that Stepan, 30, worked for a secretive company called the Institute of Modern Security Problems, run by his mother, 61.

The organisation is said to be an ‘integral part’ of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB).


The newspaper added that sources told them Stepan and Tatiana are being protected by Putin’s agents, which have sparked fears that they may have been involved in the nerve agent attack on March 4.

Stepan Vikeev boyfriend of Yulia Skripal (Picture: East2west news)

Tatiana Vikeeva, mother of Stepan (Picture: East2west news)

A source close to the family said: ‘Sergei had reservations about Stepan, but she told her father she wanted to be with Stepan.’



Friends and family of the Skripals have described her fiance as ‘strange’ and are surprised with his lack of contact since the attempted assassination.

Another source added: ‘No one saw him and he stopped communicating. He did not answer calls or text messages.’

It has been suggested that Stepan was ‘planted’ to keep an eye on Yulia.

Yulia and Sergei were poisoned in Salisbury on March 4 (Picture: Rex)

The UK has claimed the Skripals were poisoned by a Novichok nerve agent developed in Russia.

Russia has strongly denied any involvement.

Yulia was discharged from hospital earlier this month and taken to a secure location.

Her father remains in hospital, but is no longer in a critical condition.

MORE: Toxic levels of killer nerve agent could still be found in Salisbury ‘hot spots’

MORE: Police probe link between Salisbury poisoning and British spy found dead in bag