VLADIMIR Putin has been accused of murdering a Russian "poisoner" who killed spy Alexander Litvinenko.
Dmitry Kovtun died following Covid complications at the age of 56, was claimed on Saturday.
But it has been claimed today that he was actually assassinated because he had been suspected of having links to the intelligence agency of an “unfriendly” country.
The claim was made by the Telegram channel General SVR which claims - without offering proof - to have inside sources in the Kremlin.
It posted: “The decision to liquidate Kovtun was made three days before his death after a report by the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev, to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which indicated Kovtun's connection with the intelligence of an unfriendly country.
“This is the fastest implementation of a liquidation of a "traitor" after the decision was made.
“Earlier it took at least two months to prepare an operation of this kind.”
The report gave no further detail and did not indicate which foreign country’s intelligence service was being referred to.
Kovtun was wanted in Britain for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko - a leading Putin enemy - in 2006.
Kovtun was accused with ex-FSB operative Andrei Lugovoy - now an ultranationalist MP - of spiking Litvinenko’s tea with polonium-210 in a London hotel.
After the poisoning allegation, there remained questions about businessman Kovtun’s health.
Lugovoy said on Saturday that Kovtun had “passed away suddenly as a result of a serious illness linked to a coronavirus infection".
He said: “This is an irreplaceable and difficult loss for us.
“From the bottom of my heart, I express my deepest condolences to all of Dima’s (Dmitry’s) relatives and friends.”
Kovtun, who had been a KGB operative - like Lugovoy and Litvinenko, died in a Moscow hospital, he said.
His ex wife said he had dreamed of becoming a porn star and had a drinking problem.
Britain said he and Lugovoy were working for the Russian state, and acting on orders when Litvinenko was poisoned with polonium-210 at the Millennium Hotel in Mayfair.
Litvinenko died aged 43 on 23 November 2006, more than three weeks after the initial poisoning.
Three days before he died an infamous photo of him was released - lying in bed without hair.
It was claimed he had given valuable information to Western intelligence services.
Both suspects repeatedly denied the UK allegations.
They were both subject to sanctions but Russia always refused to allow their extradition for trial in Britain.
A public inquiry in Britain concluded in 2016 that Litvinenko's murder was "probably approved" personally by Putin.
Litvinenko's widow Marina recently told the Sun Online she hopes that Putin will finally be convicted for ordering her husband's murder and accused the West of not doing enough to stop Russia's war in Ukraine.
She added that Alexander had predicted Putin would behave in such an irrational way.
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun's Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate here to help The Sun's fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10
Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&Cs visit redcross.org.uk/mobile
The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.
In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.
For more information visit https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18813129/putin-accused-murdering-russian-poisoner-litvinenko/
No comments:
Post a Comment