Despite pleas, sanctions, international condemnation and even a recent U.S. airstrike, the international community has been unable to stop the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. During a meeting at the U.N. Wednesday, Ambassador Nikki Haley was clear where the U.S. places the blame.

"The Assad regime continued using chemical weapons against the Syrian people," she said. "One member of this council shielded the Assad regime from any consequences, and then blocked us from renewing the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). Our consensus broke down."

After the attack, a UN-OPCW report concluded that the "leadership panel is confident that the Syrian Arab Republic is responsible for the release of sarin at Khan Shaykhun."

The frustration at the council, particularly in light of the poisoning attack in Britain, took a new turn: accountability for the attacks.

"The OPCW-United Nations JIM was created for this purpose, but regrettably, its mandate was not renewed," Thomas Markram, director and deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the council while referring to the veto by Russia. "While allegations of the use of chemical weapons have not stopped, consideration of a mechanism for accountability has apparently slowed, if not come to a standstill. The Secretary-General and the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs have repeatedly underlined the need to avoid impunity to ensure that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons are identified and held responsible."

"Perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable. We cannot accept impunity," added Sweden's alternative Ambassador Carl Skau.

The threats of prosecution come as the Syrian government is making strides in the battle in Syria. Syrian forces have reclaimed parts of eastern Ghouta and President Trump has indicated a possible withdrawal of the 2,000 troops on the ground, which includes U.S. special forces and the waging of air strikes.

Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch lamented the lack of action by saying in part: "One year after the horrific sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun, neither the UN Security Council nor the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has acted to uphold the prohibition against chemical weapon attacks."

Markram told the Council that "efforts have continued toward the destruction of the two remaining chemical weapons production facilities, by the Syrian Arab Republic."

"Destruction of these facilities, which will be verified by the OPCW, is expected to be completed within two to three months from the start of destruction," Markram said.

At the council meeting, Haley brought Dr. Mamoun Morad who is the doctor that was on duty in Khan Sheikhoun last year and was featured in a "60 Minutes" broadcast.

Last month, Haley warned that Washington "remains prepared to act if we must." On Wednesday, she issued a new warning.

"Even as the Security Council has remained deadlocked, some have stood up to demand accountability for the use of chemical weapons," Haley said. "The General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the creation of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism on crimes committed in Syria, which is collecting evidence for future prosecutions."

French Ambassador Francois Delattre added to the warning by saying in part: "Let us not be mistaken, the use of chemical weapons brings to the fore the threat to the international nonproliferation regime."

Responding to the threats, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia disputed the results of the investigations of the U.N.-OPCW reports, citing the fact that investigators were unable to travel to Khan Sheikhoun.

"The Russian Federation was unable to renew the mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism," Nebenzia said. "We proposed an alternative ... Western colleagues are insisting on a mechanism convenient for them."

Nebenzia announced the Russian Federation's call for an urgent meeting on Thursday of the Security Council on the poisoning in Salisbury, a call echoed by the Syria representative at the meeting, Deputy Ambassador Mounzer Mounzer.

"It is not just through actions in Syria that Russia's disdain for the international system manifests itself. The poisoning in Salisbury of two people with a military grade nerve agent endangered anyone who chanced to be in the vicinity," U.K.'s Ambassador Piece told the Council.

"Our lack of action has consequences. When we let one regime off the hook, others take notice," Haley said. "The use of nerve agents in Salisbury and Kuala Lumpur proves this point and reveals a dangerous trend."</s>THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia’s proposal for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England is “perverse”, Britain’s delegation at the global chemical weapons watchdog said on Wednesday as the agency began an emergency meeting requested by Moscow.

Moscow convened the session of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve toxin in the English city of Salisbury.

In a tweet, the British delegation said Moscow’s request was “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

Moscow denies any involvement in the attack and accuses London of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria in the West.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Russia’s envoy to the OPCW has said that if Moscow is prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it will reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Diplomatic sources said, however, that Russia’s proposal for a second investigation was not expected to win the two-thirds majority needed for approval at the special session of the OPCW’s 41-member executive council, which is deeply divided.

Council members are elected by the OPCW’s 192 member states, which include major powers such as Russia, Britain and the United States, and take all its major decisions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hoped the OPCW meeting would defuse a diplomatic uproar triggered by the poisoning of Skripal, who remains in critical but stable condition, while his daughter has shown signs of improvement.

The case has plunged East-West relations into their worst crisis since the 1945-90 Cold War, with Britain and its allies expelling around 130 Russian diplomats and Moscow responding with its own expulsions.

“We have raised 20 questions for discussion (at the meeting). I hope that during this discussion a final line on what has happened will be drawn,” Putin told a news conference during a visit to the Turkish capital Ankara.

Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry is seen by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the ongoing investigation by OPCW technical experts.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Ankara that Britain’s version of who was responsible for the poisoning “will not be confirmed anyway because it is impossible to confirm it”.</s>THE HAGUE, April 4 (Reuters) - Russia's call for a joint inquiry to be held into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England failed on Wednesday when it was outvoted 15-6 at a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Russia had called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.

Britain's charges of Russian involvement, strongly denied by Moscow, have triggered mass expulsions of diplomats by both Britain's allies in the West, including the United States, and similar retaliatory action by Russia.

When the meeting convened on Wednesday, Russia proposed a joint investigation into the poisoning as it was not invited to participate in an independent probe being carried out by the OPCW at Britain's request, results of which are due next week.

Britain called the Russian proposal for a joint investigation a "perverse" attempt to escape blame for the poisoning of the Skripals, and part of a disinformation campaign mounted by Moscow.

Russia's proposal in the end drew support from China, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Algeria and Iran, a source told Reuters, with U.S. and European members voting against the plan. There were 17 abstentions among members of the organisation's 41-member council, only 38 of whose members were present and eligible to vote on Wednesday.

Russia's ambassador to the OPCW, Aleksander Shulgin, confirmed that the vote had been lost.

Separately on Wednesday Russia requested a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on April 5 to discuss the British accusations against Moscow, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

"Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon -- to obscure the truth and confuse the public," he said in a statement.

"The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia´s attempts today to derail the proper international process."

The closed-door OPCW meeting itself triggered sharp verbal exchanges between the Britain and Russia's representatives.

In a tweet, the British delegation called Moscow's idea for a joint investigation "a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer".

John Foggo, Britain's acting envoy, said Russian assertions that the attack may have been carried out by Britain, the United States or Sweden were "shameless, preposterous statements...

Shulgin, at a news conference, said the vote showed more than half of the OPCW's members had "refused to associate themselves with the West's point of view" -- referring to those who voted in favour of Russia's proposal or abstained.

He repeated that Russia had had nothing to do with the attack on the Skripals, which he said looked like "a terrorist attack."

Britain's remarks were "a dirty flow of complete lies ... outright Russia-phobia," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the OPCW should draw a line under a case that has triggered the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Shulgin said earlier that if Moscow was prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it would reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Russia's request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry has been portrayed by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the investigation by OPCW scientists.

The EU said it was very concerned Moscow was considering rejecting the OPCW findings.

Instead of cooperating with the OPCW, Russia had unleashed "a flood of insinuations targeting EU member states ... This is completely unacceptable," an EU statement read to the council session said.

Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who betrayed scores of Russian agents to Britain and was exchanged in a Russia-West spy swap, remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter, Yulia, 33, has shown signs of improvement. (Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and William Schomberg in London; Editing by Richard Balmforth)</s>The British delegation to the global chemical weapons body on Wednesday dismissed a Russian proposal for a joint U.K.-Russian investigation into the Salisbury poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal as "perverse".

THE HAGUE: Russia's proposal for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England is "perverse", Britain's delegation at the global chemical weapons watchdog said on Wednesday as the agency began an emergency meeting requested by Moscow.

Moscow convened the session of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve toxin in the English city of Salisbury.

In a tweet, the British delegation said Moscow's request was "a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer".

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

Moscow denies any involvement in the attack and accuses London of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria in the West.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Russia's envoy to the OPCW has said that if Moscow is prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it will reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Diplomatic sources said, however, that Russia's proposal for a second investigation was not expected to win the two-thirds majority needed for approval at the special session of the OPCW's 41-member executive council, which is deeply divided.

Council members are elected by the OPCW's 192 member states, which include major powers such as Russia, Britain and the United States, and take all its major decisions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hoped the OPCW meeting would defuse a diplomatic uproar triggered by the poisoning of Skripal, who remains in critical but stable condition, while his daughter has shown signs of improvement.

The case has plunged East-West relations into their worst crisis since the 1945-90 Cold War, with Britain and its allies expelling around 130 Russian diplomats and Moscow responding with its own expulsions.

"We have raised 20 questions for discussion (at the meeting). I hope that during this discussion a final line on what has happened will be drawn," Putin told a news conference during a visit to the Turkish capital Ankara.

Russia's request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry is seen by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the ongoing investigation by OPCW technical experts.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Ankara that Britain's version of who was responsible for the poisoning "will not be confirmed anyway because it is impossible to confirm it".</s>THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia’s proposal for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in England is “perverse”, Britain’s delegation at the global chemical weapons watchdog said on Wednesday as the agency began an emergency meeting requested by Moscow.

Moscow convened the session of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a military-grade nerve toxin in the English city of Salisbury.

In a tweet, the British delegation said Moscow’s request was “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

Moscow denies any involvement in the attack and accuses London of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria in the West.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Russia’s envoy to the OPCW has said that if Moscow is prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it will reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Diplomatic sources said, however, that Russia’s proposal for a second investigation was not expected to win the two-thirds majority needed for approval at the special session of the OPCW’s 41-member executive council, which is deeply divided.

Council members are elected by the OPCW’s 192 member states, which include major powers such as Russia, Britain and the United States, and take all its major decisions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he hoped the OPCW meeting would defuse a diplomatic uproar triggered by the poisoning of Skripal, who remains in critical but stable condition, while his daughter has shown signs of improvement.

The case has plunged East-West relations into their worst crisis since the 1945-90 Cold War, with Britain and its allies expelling around 130 Russian diplomats and Moscow responding with its own expulsions.

“We have raised 20 questions for discussion (at the meeting). I hope that during this discussion a final line on what has happened will be drawn,” Putin told a news conference during a visit to the Turkish capital Ankara.

Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry is seen by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the ongoing investigation by OPCW technical experts.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Ankara that Britain’s version of who was responsible for the poisoning “will not be confirmed anyway because it is impossible to confirm it”.</s>LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson welcomed Russia’s defeat on Wednesday in its attempt to get the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to back a joint investigation into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in Britain.

“Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon — to obscure the truth and confuse the public,” Johnson said in a statement.

“The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.”</s>The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will hold a special session today, at Moscow's request, into the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the British city of Salisbury. — Reuters</s>On April 4, 2017, Syrian air raids pummeled the small rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in the northern province of Idlib.

As news of the attack spread, it quickly became apparent that something other than conventional weapons had been used.

Residents told Al Jazeera they saw people choking and foaming at the mouth, "suffocating while their lungs collapsed".

More than 80 people, including many women and children, died when nerve agent sarin or a sarin-like substance was dropped onto Khan Sheikhoun. Hundreds more were wounded, in one of the worst chemical attacks since sarin gas killed hundreds of civilians in Ghouta, near the capital, Damascus, in August 2013.

Syria's government has denied involvement and claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to hand over thousands of tonnes of deadly chemical agents following US threats of a unilateral attack.

But in October 2017, the Joint Investigative Mechanism, a group tasked by the UN Security Council and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate chemical weapons attacks, confirmed that the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun did happen, and that the Syrian government was responsible for the killing of civilians.

On the one-year anniversary of the Khan Sheikhoun attack, Al Jazeera's Faisal Edroos spoke with Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a chemical weapons adviser to NGOs working in Syria and Iraq, about the usage of chemical weapons by the Syrian government, and what can be done to prevent their use.

Al Jazeera: How many chemical weapons attacks have there been since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011?

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon: While it's difficult to gauge exactly what has been done and where, we've seen the use of sarin in Khan Sheikhoun as well as in Ghouta - that's where hundreds of people, including scores of women and children, were killed.

But it's predominantly chlorine barrel bombs, dropped from regime helicopters, that make up the bulk of the regime's attacks.

Al Jazeera: What has been the international community's reaction?

De Bretton-Gordon: It's ridiculous that the international community continues to turn a blind eye to the crimes being perpetrated in Syria.

A red line has been crossed and the US hasn't acted as it said it would.

After the Khan Sheikhoun attack, the Trump administration launched a few Tomahawk missiles to take out the Syrian aircraft that bombed the town. But aside from that, they've done very little.

Instead, the 100-year taboo on the use of chemical weapons has been completely broken.

Now, any despot, dictator, rogue state, terrorist, sees chemical weapons as a viable weapon. We could end up seeing more chemical weapons proliferation across the world than we've been witness to.

Al Jazeera: Why is it difficult to determine whether a chemical attack has taken place?

De Bretton-Gordon: The OPCW can't get into Syria, and since most attacks happen in rebel-held areas it's difficult to obtain the necessary evidence.

Assad and the Russians [Syrian government allies] say they don't use chemical weapons, but the OPCW hasn't been able to collect enough evidence that can prove otherwise.

The OPCW needs to review of its operations and the international community needs to state categorically that they won't stand for chemical weapons attacks and will take action - which is something they haven't been able to do.

Al Jazeera: Most of the information obtained from rebel-held areas is filmed by local activists and subsequently posted on social media. Can videos of chemical attacks uploaded on such platforms be trusted and how do we know they're not fake news and disinformation?

De Bretton-Gordon: The Union of Syrian Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) has more than 50 hospitals across Syria, and we've treated many of the casualties affected by the regime's chemical weapons attacks.

Hospital staff have told me [about treating chemical attacks victims] and even I ... investigated a chemical weapons attack.

Hence, I can state quite unequivocally that there have been several chemical weapons attacks in the country.

So with all the evidence I've collected over the past four-and-half years, coupled with videos uploaded to social media, eyewitness testimony and samples that have been analysed, we have proof that the Syrian regime has and does use chemical weapons.

Al Jazeera: Pro-Assad supporters have accused some of the victims of being "paid actors" and peddling a false narrative. Is there any truth to this?

De Bretton-Gordon: When people come to our hospitals, they're received by trained medical professionals, so we can tell if people are faking it. So, no, we haven't seen any paid actors.

I'm absolutely confident that the Syrians who appear in videos exhibiting trauma from chemical attacks are real and they are who they say they are.

Al Jazeera: Do the rebels have the capabilities to launch chemical attacks?

De Bretton-Gordon: The so-called Islamic State group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) launched chemical attacks against civilian populations in both Syria and Iraq, mainly against the Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters), and its quite possible that al-Qaeda linked groups such as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly known as the al-Nusra Front) have as well.

But when it comes to groups such as the Free Syrian Army, there hasn't been any evidence of that.

Al Jazeera: Is there anything that the UN, regional powers can do to stop attacks on civilian areas?

De Bretton-Gordon: The international community has to reimpose its view that the use of chemical weapons is prohibited and it will act firmly should the Assad regime persist.

What has to happen is they have to launch air strikes through the UN Security Council, just as they did after the Khan Sheikhoun attack.

That is the only way we can stop chemical attacks in the future.</s>THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Russia’s call for a joint inquiry to be held into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England failed on Wednesday when it was outvoted 15-6 at a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Russia had called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the March 4 nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.

Britain’s charges of Russian involvement, strongly denied by Moscow, have triggered mass expulsions of diplomats by both Britain’s allies in the West, including the United States, and similar retaliatory action by Russia.

When the meeting convened on Wednesday, Russia proposed a joint investigation into the poisoning as it was not invited to participate in an independent probe being carried out by the OPCW at Britain’s request, results of which are due next week.

Britain called the Russian proposal for a joint investigation a “perverse” attempt to escape blame for the poisoning of the Skripals, and part of a disinformation campaign mounted by Moscow.

Russia’s proposal in the end drew support from China, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Algeria and Iran, a source told Reuters, with U.S. and European members voting against the plan. There were 17 abstentions among members of the organisation’s 41-member council, only 38 of whose members were present and eligible to vote on Wednesday.

Russia’s ambassador to the OPCW, Aleksander Shulgin, confirmed that the vote had been lost.

Separately on Wednesday Russia requested a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on April 5 to discuss the British accusations against Moscow, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

“Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon — to obscure the truth and confuse the public,” he said in a statement.

“The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.”

The closed-door OPCW meeting itself triggered sharp verbal exchanges between the Britain and Russia’s representatives.

In a tweet, the British delegation called Moscow’s idea for a joint investigation “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”.

John Foggo, Britain’s acting envoy, said Russian assertions that the attack may have been carried out by Britain, the United States or Sweden were “shameless, preposterous statements...

Shulgin, at a news conference, said the vote showed more than half of the OPCW’s members had “refused to associate themselves with the West’s point of view” — referring to those who voted in favour of Russia’s proposal or abstained.

He repeated that Russia had had nothing to do with the attack on the Skripals, which he said looked like “a terrorist attack.”

Britain’s remarks were “a dirty flow of complete lies ... outright Russia-phobia,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the OPCW should draw a line under a case that has triggered the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Shulgin said earlier that if Moscow was prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it would reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry has been portrayed by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the investigation by OPCW scientists.

The EU said it was very concerned Moscow was considering rejecting the OPCW findings.

Instead of cooperating with the OPCW, Russia had unleashed “a flood of insinuations targeting EU member states ... This is completely unacceptable,” an EU statement read to the council session said.

Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who betrayed scores of Russian agents to Britain and was exchanged in a Russia-West spy swap, remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter, Yulia, 33, has shown signs of improvement.</s>THE HAGUE – Russia’s call for a joint inquiry to be held into the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in England failed on Wednesday when it was outvoted 15-6 at a meeting of the global chemical weapons watchdog.

Russia had called an emergency meeting of the decision-making executive of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to counter accusations by Britain that it was behind the 4 March nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England.

UK’s security services believe they have pinpointed the location of Russian laboratory that manufactured the nerve agent Novichok used in Salisbury attack, The Times reported on Wednesday. Britain was aware of the existence of the site before 4 March, the report said.

It cited an unidentified security source as saying they have a “high degree of confidence in the location”.

Britain’s charges of Russian involvement, strongly denied by Moscow, have triggered mass expulsions of diplomats by both Britain’s allies in the West, including the United States, and similar retaliatory action by Russia.

When the meeting convened on Wednesday, Russia proposed a joint investigation into the poisoning as it was not invited to participate in an independent probe being carried out by the OPCW at Britain’s request, results of which are due next week.

Britain called the Russian proposal for a joint investigation a “perverse” attempt to escape blame for the poisoning of the Skripals, and part of a disinformation campaign mounted by Moscow.

Russia’s proposal in the end drew support from China, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Algeria and Iran, a source told Reuters, with US and European members voting against the plan. There were 17 abstentions among members of the organisation’s 41-member council, only 38 of whose members were present and eligible to vote on Wednesday.

Russia’s ambassador to the OPCW, Aleksander Shulgin, confirmed that the vote had been lost.

Separately on Wednesday, Russia requested a public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 5 April to discuss the British accusations against Moscow, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

“Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon - to obscure the truth and confuse the public,” he said in a statement.

“The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.”

The closed-door OPCW meeting itself triggered sharp verbal exchanges between the Britain and Russia’s representatives.

In a tweet, the British delegation called Moscow’s idea for a joint investigation “a diversionary tactic, and yet more disinformation designed to evade the questions the Russians authorities must answer”.

John Foggo, Britain’s acting envoy, said Russian assertions that the attack may have been carried out by Britain, the United States or Sweden were “shameless, preposterous statements”.

Shulgin, at a news conference, said the vote showed more than half of the OPCW’s members had “refused to associate themselves with the West’s point of view” - referring to those who voted in favour of Russia’s proposal or abstained.

He repeated that Russia had had nothing to do with the attack on the Skripals, which he said looked like “a terrorist attack.”

Britain’s remarks were “a dirty flow of complete lies ... outright Russia-phobia,” he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the OPCW should draw a line under a case that has triggered the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.

Scientists at the Porton Down biological and chemical weapons laboratory in England have concluded that the toxin was among a category of Soviet-era nerve agents called Novichok, though could not yet determine whether it was made in Russia.

The OPCW, which oversees the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, has taken samples from the site of the Salisbury attack and is expected to provide results from testing at two designated laboratories next week.

Shulgin said earlier that if Moscow was prevented from taking part in the testing of the Salisbury toxin samples, it would reject the outcome of the OPCW research.

Russia’s request to open a parallel, joint Russian-British inquiry has been portrayed by Western powers as an attempt to undermine the investigation by OPCW scientists.

The EU said it was very concerned Moscow was considering rejecting the OPCW findings.

Instead of cooperating with the OPCW, Russia had unleashed “a flood of insinuations targeting EU member states ... This is completely unacceptable,” an EU statement read to the council session said.

Skripal, 66, a former Russian military intelligence officer who betrayed scores of Russian agents to Britain and was exchanged in a Russia-West spy swap, remains in a critical but stable condition. His daughter, Yulia, 33, has shown signs of improvement
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons rejects a Russian request for a joint investigation.