A public
inquiry into the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko prompted a
furious diplomatic row between Britain and Russia today after an
independent probe said President Putin had 'probably' personally
authorised the 2006 killing.
Mr
Litvinenko - who had accused the Russian president on his death bed -
was killed by two FSB spies who slipped radioactive polonium 210 into
his tea pot at a Mayfair hotel in central London, Sir Robert Owen said
today in a major report.
Mr
Litvinenko's widow Marina urged Britain to impose sanctions on Russia
has a result of the findings which today prompted the Russian Ambassador
to claim there had been a 'whitewash' to cover up the 'incompetence' of
the UK's security services.
Mrs Litvinenko, speaking on the steps of the High Court in London today,
called for the expulsion of all Russian spies from London. Alexander Litvinenko, pictured shortly before his 2006 death, accused
the Russian president of implication in his killing while on his death
bed in London
Sir Robert's inquiry named Andrei Lugovoi, and Dmitri Kovtun, as the two men responsible for carrying out the orders to kill
Litvinenko by slipping radioactive polonium into a teapot
Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko said it was 'unacceptable' for Britain to link Russia to a state-sponsored assassination.
But
speaking to MPs in the House of Commons, British Home Secretary Theresa
May condemned a 'blatant breach of the fundamental tenets of
international law' - but she admitted the findings were not a surprise
and announced few new measures in response.
In
his report, inquiry chairman Sir Robert today said he was 'sure' two
assassins Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun placed the polonium 'into the
teapot' knowing it would kill their target.
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