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Vladimir Putin 'probably' approved Alexander Litvinenko killing in London

President Vladimir Putin "probably" approved the assassination of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London, a public inquiry has found.

Sir Robert Owen's report said Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun were probably acting under the direction of Moscow's FSB intelligence service when they poisoned him with radioactive polonium 210 at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair in 2006.

The Home Secretary said the Russian ambassador will be summoned to the Foreign Office to be told about the Government’s anger about the case.

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Russian foreign ministry: Litvinenko inquiry 'biased'

Alexander Litvinenko was killed in 2006. Credit: PA

The inquiry into the murder of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko was "biased and opaque", the Russian foreign ministry has said.

State media quoted the ministry as saying that the Litvinenko case was politicised by UK officials.

The ministry also said London's handling of the investigation had clouded relations between Russia and the UK.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "We regret that what was a purely criminal case was politicised and has clouded the general atmosphere of our bilateral ties.

"The process...was not transparent for the Russian side or for society because of the way materials were examined behind closed doors under the pretext that they were secret."

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Vladimir Putin 'probably' approved Alexander Litvinenko killing in London

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