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Yulia Skripal has revealed she woke up "over a week ago" after being found poisoned and unconscious in Salisbury in March.

Ms Skripal, 33, the daughter of former Russian spy Sergei, 66, was poisoned alongside her father last month in an incident that sparked international tensions with Russia.

Both were understood to be seriously ill in hospital. But after Russian state broadcasters claimed she had contacted Russian family on Thursday, she revealed she was in recovery.

In a statement issued as she recovers in Salisbury District Hospital, Yulia said: “I woke up over a week ago now and am glad to say my strength is growing daily.

"I am grateful for the interest in me and for the many messages of goodwill that I have received.

“I have many people to thank for my recovery and would especially like to mention the people of Salisbury that came to my aid when my father and I were incapacitated.

"Further than that, I would like to thank the staff at Salisbury District Hospital for their care and professionalism.

“I am sure you appreciate that the entire episode is somewhat disorientating, and I hope that you’ll respect my privacy and that of my family during the period of my convalescence.”

Russian Spy Sergei Skripal: Salisbury Nerve Agent Incident 14 show all Russian Spy Sergei Skripal: Salisbury Nerve Agent Incident 1/14 Investigators in protective gear pursue the probe into the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal Getty 2/14 Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal are fighting for life in hospital PA 3/14 Personnel in hazmat suits work to secure a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 4/14 ilitary personnel are deployed to help remove vehicles from the scene after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent in Salisbury Getty Images 5/14 Military in protective clothing remove vehicles from a car park in Salisbury EPA 6/14 Police cordon: Military personnel in Salisbury PA 7/14 Traces of the nerve agent used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found at Zizzi in Salisbury PA 8/14 Amber Rudd: she visited the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent REUTERS 9/14 Personnel are helped from their hazmat suits (right), after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 10/14 Personnel in hazmat suits walk away after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 11/14 Police put a red bag inside a police evidence bag immediately after the nerve agent attack on a Russian spy. Officers previously issued CCTV of a woman clutching a red bag Solent news 12/14 Snap Fitness 24/7 13/14 Police activity in the cul-de-sac in Salisbury that contains the home of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal who was poisoned along with daughter Yulia with a nerve agent PA 14/14 Sergei Skripal shops at Bargain Stop in a CCTV image from five days before his apparent poisoning 1/14 Investigators in protective gear pursue the probe into the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal Getty 2/14 Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal are fighting for life in hospital PA 3/14 Personnel in hazmat suits work to secure a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 4/14 ilitary personnel are deployed to help remove vehicles from the scene after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent in Salisbury Getty Images 5/14 Military in protective clothing remove vehicles from a car park in Salisbury EPA 6/14 Police cordon: Military personnel in Salisbury PA 7/14 Traces of the nerve agent used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found at Zizzi in Salisbury PA 8/14 Amber Rudd: she visited the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent REUTERS 9/14 Personnel are helped from their hazmat suits (right), after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 10/14 Personnel in hazmat suits walk away after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA 11/14 Police put a red bag inside a police evidence bag immediately after the nerve agent attack on a Russian spy. Officers previously issued CCTV of a woman clutching a red bag Solent news 12/14 Snap Fitness 24/7 13/14 Police activity in the cul-de-sac in Salisbury that contains the home of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal who was poisoned along with daughter Yulia with a nerve agent PA 14/14 Sergei Skripal shops at Bargain Stop in a CCTV image from five days before his apparent poisoning

The revelation comes as the Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko demanded an "international presence" in the investigation into the Salisbury poisoning.

In a press conference on Thursday, Mr Yakovenko said Russia had "suspicions" about the UK and the number of Russian citizens to have died there in "very strange circumstances".

He denied his country had produced the Novichok nerve agent. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's claim that Russia maintained a stockpile of Novichok "likely for assassination" was "untrue... not supported by any evidence ... unacceptable", he said.

Mr Yakovenko told reporters that he was "really happy" after Yulia Skripal issued a statement stating that she was "getting stronger daily".

The ambassador added that he was "quite sure" Ms Skripal would return to Moscow where she has a job and apartment.

He said: "I'm really happy and I hope Sergei Skripal will also recover and I'm quite sure that one day Yulia will come back to Moscow where she has job, apartments, she is a wealthy person and she is doing well.

"As far as the father, that is his choice, he decided to live here in the UK, no problem."

Mr Yakovenko later dismissed accusations that the Russian Embassy was "trolling" the UK with its Twitter account.

On March 18 the Russian Embassy tweeted: "In absence of evidence, we definitely need Poirot in Salisbury!"

Mr Yakovenko said: "We are not trolling, we are puzzled."

He added: "We need the investigation, that was the message. I understand that you didn't like this form probably because you watched Poirot and you know what's behind these stories."

Experts at Porton Down said they had been unable to identify "the precise source" of the nerve agent used to poison the pair.

Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the Government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, said the poison had been identified as a military-grade Novichok nerve agent which could probably be deployed only by a nation-state.

But he told Sky News it was not the military research facility's job to say where the substance was manufactured - despite Boris Johnson's claims that scientists had proven "beyond doubt" it was produced in Russia.