Moscow's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council meeting that Britain's allegation against the former is unfounded, while adding that the latter's main aim is to 'discredit and even delegitimise' Russia with 'unsubstantiated accusations'.

"It's some sort of theatre of the absurd. Couldn't you come up with a better fake story," Nebenzia asked his British counterpart Karen Pierce.

Responding to the statement, Pirece told the 15-member council that Moscow has a history of carrying out state-sponsored assassination on people who it deems a defector.

She also accused Russia of undermining the 'international institutions that have kept us safe since the Second World War'.

So far, the two nations have not budged from its respective view points: UK holding Russia responsible for the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with a nerve agent and Moscow denying the claims made by London.

The matter has assumed significant importance after UK Prime Minister Theresa May accused the Russians of undermining democracy.

Soon, the United States of America too weighed in on the debate and expelled at least 60 Russian diplomats from its country. Prior to it, Britain had asked 23 Russian diplomats to pack their belongings and leave the nation.

Within days, over 20 other nations followed suit and Moscow witnessed a mass deportation of its ambassadors, amounting over a hundred.

Count (in numbers):

60 USA

23 UK

13 Ukraine

4 Canada, France, Germany, Poland

3 Czech Republic, Lithuania

2 Albania, Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Spain

1 Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Sweden

In retaliation, Russia too expelled 60 US diplomats, who left for their country on Thursday.

Commenting on the Russian action, a State Department spokesperson said, "We regret Russia's decision to expel our diplomats, dedicated professionals who have represented the United States with distinction in an effort to build bridges between our two countries, so that we might find a way to confront shared challenges together."

Moreover, at least 23 British diplomats were asked to leave Russia, while the latter requested the former it must cut just over 50 more of its diplomatic and technical staff in retaliation for the string of Western expulsions of Russian diplomats, media reports said. 

Yulia Skripal regaining health

In an official release on Thursday, UK Police have stated that poisoned daughter of Sergei Skripal, Yulia, is slowly regaining her health everyday.

The 33-year-old Yulia is convalescing in a hospital in Salisbury region of the UK, while her father's condition is said to be critically ill but stable.

The attack, which took place in the month of March, has sparked off a diplomatic row between Russia and the West.

Image: Screengrab from the BBC website