LONDON — An inquiry led by senior British judge Robert Owen has found that former KGB bodyguard Andrei Lugovoy and another Russian, Dmitry Kovtun, carried out the killing of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko.
According to the inquiry, the mission was part of an operation probably directed by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), the main heir to the Soviet-era KGB.
"The FSB operation to kill Mr Litvinenko was probably approved by Mr. Patrushev, then head of the FSB, and also by President Putin," Owen said.
"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. I have further concluded that Mr Kovtun was also acting under FSB direction," he said.
According to Owen, he was sure Lugovoy and Kovtun placed the radioactive poison, polonium-210, in a teapot at the Millennium Hotel's Pine Bar in London on Nov. 1, 2006. That same day, Litvinenko, 43, drank the poisoned green tea.
Traces of the highly radioactive substance were also found at several sites across London, including offices, hotels, planes and Arsenal soccer club's Emirates Stadium.
Both Lugovoy and Kovtun have previously denied any involvement in Litvinenko's death. Russia has also refused to extradite them.
Litvinenko was outspoken critic of Putin. He fled Russia for Britain exactly six years to the day before he was poisoned at the hotel.
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