Ex-Russian spy reportedly falls ill after exposure to unknown substance

A 66-year-old Russian man who had been convicted of spying for the U.K. fell ill over the weekend after being exposed to an unknown substance in England, BBC News reported Monday. Sergei Skripal and a woman believed to be in her 30s are said to be critically ill at a hospital, according to the broadcaster.

Skripal was convicted of treason in Russia in 2006 and sentenced to a 13-year prison sentence. He came to the U.K. as part of a prisoner swap in 2010.

On Sunday, he and the woman were found unconscious on a bench at a shopping center in Salisbury, BBC News reports. Police were investigating the incident.

Following the incident, crews wearing hazmat suits washed down the street with hoses.