The Litvinenko Inquiry

Part 9 | Chapters 1 to 12 | Who directed the killing?
Chapter 11: Conclusions regarding Russian
State responsibility
9.187 The open evidence that I have set out above establishes a strong circumstantial case
that the Russian State was responsible for Mr Litvinenko’s death.
9.188 I draw attention in particular to the following points.
9.189 I have found that Mr Litvinenko was killed by Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun. They had
no personal animus against Mr Litvinenko. I am sure that they killed him on behalf of
others.
9.190 Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun are both Russian citizens, who were living in Russia in
2006. They were both former members of Russian armed forces. Mr Lugovoy had
been a member of the KGB and latterly the Federal Protection Service. Mr Kovtun
had been an officer in the Russian army.
9.191 The evidence of Mr Glushkov and others raises questions as to a possible relationship
between Mr Lugovoy (who was clearly the leader of the two men) and the FSB in the
years up to and including 2006.
9.192 The fact that Mr Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium 210 that had been manufactured
in a nuclear reactor suggests that Mr Lugovoy and Mr Kovtun were acting for a state
body, rather than (say) a criminal organisation.
9.193 Although it cannot be said that the polonium 210 with which Mr Litvinenko was
poisoned must have come from the Avangard facility in Russia, it certainly could have
come from there.
9.194 There were powerful motives for organisations and individuals within the Russian
State to take action against Mr Litvinenko, including killing him. Mr Litvinenko was, as a
result of his actions both before and after leaving Russia, regarded as having betrayed
the FSB. Moreover, according to Mr Lugovoy, the FSB had received information that
Mr Litvinenko was working for British intelligence. Mr Litvinenko was an associate
of leading opponents of the Putin regime, and he had repeatedly targeted President
Putin himself with highly personal public criticism.
9.195 I note in this context that Mr Kovtun told D3 during their conversation in Hamburg that
Mr Litvinenko was to be poisoned rather than shot because, “It is meant to set an
example”.
9.196 There is evidence suggesting that in the years prior to Mr Litvinenko’s death the
Russian State had been involved in the killing of a number of opponents of President
Putin’s administration, including those, like Mr Litvinenko, who had publicly blamed
the FSB for the 1999 apartment bombings. The pattern was of killings both inside and
outside Russia. There was evidence of poisons, including radioactive poisons, being
used in some cases. Professor Dombey expressed the view that the FSB had tested
radioactive poisons on humans, including in one case on a prisoner.
9.197 Although the strict terms of the 2006 laws did not permit the FSB to take action against
extremists (as opposed to terrorists) outside the borders of Russia, the evidence of
Professor Service was that the laws had a wider effect. He said that: “the authorities
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