What We Know: Key takeaways in case of poisoned spy

A British judge has concluded that two Russians, acting at the behest of Moscow’s security services and probably with approval from President Vladimir Putin, poisoned ex-KGB agent and fierce Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko.

He had been an outspoken critic of Mr Putin and from his death bed accused the president of involvement in the poisoning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved the operation by Russian officials to kill former spy Alexander Litvinenko, a detailed United Kingdom inquiry has concluded.

Both men have denied involvement in Litvinenko’s death, as has the Kremlin.

Russia declined to participate in the six-month British inquiry, as did Lugovoy and Kovtun, the two Russian men who met with Litvinenko in London.

While there was no direct proof, Owen said it was “likely” the FSB chief would have sought Putin’s approval for an operation to kill Litvinenko.

In a public briefing in London this week, Owen announced the inquiry’s findings about Putin and former FSB chairman Nikolai Patrushev’s involvement in the assassination.

He “was regarded as having betrayed the FSB” with his actions, and “there were powerful motives for organizations and individuals within the Russian state to take action … including killing him”, the judge wrote.

The inquiry named Russian citizens Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun as those who carried out the killing in London.

He added that “this report confirms what we’ve always believed, and what the last Labour government believed at the time of this terrible murder, which is it was state sponsored action”.

Since ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died in 2006, there have been lots of theories but no firm conclusions from authorities.

There was “undoubtedly a personal dimension to the antagonism” between Mr Putin and Mr Litvinenko, he added.

The FSB also had information Mr Litvinenko had started working for British intelligence.

He said Russia will be handled “with clear eyes and a very cold heart”, and confirmed existing measures of expelling Russian diplomats and refusing to co-operate with Moscow’s intelligence agencies will continue. “Russia was hoping for cooperation with the British in investigating this case”.

Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, speaking Thursday outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, welcomed the report by saying, “The words my husband spoke on his deathbed, when he accused Mr. Putin of his murder, have been proved true in an English court”.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the government would summon Russia’s ambassador to London to express its displeasure at Moscow’s failure to cooperate with the investigation into Mr Litvinenko’s death. Later, she said to CNN that Putin was directly involved in the case and explained that the president protected Lugovoi, who was a member of the Russian parliament.

The poison used in the killing – the radioactive isotope polonium-210 – is exceptionally toxic and posed a huge potential public health risk, after traces of it were left in multiple locations around London by the murderers.