Russian Federation dismisses United Kingdom findings into Litvinenko death as ‘a joke’

A top British government investigator says Russian President Vladimir Putin probably personally approved the assassination of (Alexander) Litvinenko, a Russian spy-turned-dissident who was exiled in Britain after criticizing Putin.

In response to the British report, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova refuted the allegations, saying that Britain’s handling of the case was “opaque” and “politicized”.

CNN reports that she’s asking British Prime Minister David Cameron to call for the “immediate expulsion” of Russian agents working inside Britain as news of the Putin “probably” approving of the spy’s death emerges.

“I have concluded that there is a strong probability that when Mr Lugovoy poisoned Mr Litvinenko, he did so under the direction of the FSB, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, ” Sir Robert said.

The spokeswoman said measures taken against Russian Federation in 2007 remained in place, adding: “In the light of the inquiry’s findings, we are considering what further action we should take”.

“There was undoubtedly a personal dimension to the antagonism between Mr Litvinenko on the one hand and President Putin on the other”, Owen’s report said.

A former intelligence officer with the FSB, Litvinenko became an outspoken critic of Putin and worked for British intelligence after he sought asylum in 2000.

The death of Litvinenko marked a post-Cold War low point in Anglo-Russian relations and ties have never recovered, marred further by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He said the case shows the “way in which the political environment that now exists in Russian Federation seems to also extend, at least in some occasions, beyond Russia’s borders”. The inquiry identified Lugovoi and ex-KGB agent Dmitri Kovtun as the likely perpetrators of the poisoning.

She described it as a “blatant and unacceptable breach of worldwide law and civilized behavior”.

Moscow has always denied having anything to do with murdering Litvinenko, who “had repeatedly targeted President Putin” with “highly personal” public attacks and accusing him of corruption.

The finding once again brings radioactive substance polonium-210 to the headlines.

– Interpol has issued notices calling for their arrest, although Russian Federation refuses to extradite them.

British police have accused Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi of carrying out the killing, sponsored by elements in the Kremlin.

– Owen says that Litvinenko’s vocal criticisms of Putin and the FSB, his association with leading opponents of the Putin administration and his alleged work for British intelligence meant that “there were powerful motives for organizations and individuals within the Russian State to take action” against him – including killing him.

Litvinenko’s widow, Marina, whose persistence led to the inquiry being held, called for Russian spies to be kicked out of Britain and for sanctions against Russia.