'Subtle British humour': Russia's icy reaction to the Litvinenko report



"You can put that down to subtle British humour, when an open public inquiry hangs on classified information from unnamed intelligence services and is based on prolific use of the words 'possibly' and 'probably.'"

LONDON: -- Russia has reacted to Sir Robert Owen’s report on Alexander Litvinenko’s death with an iciness comparable to a winter’s morning in Moscow.

The Foreign Ministry
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said the public inquiry was “politically motivated and highly opaque, and prepared with a pre-determined ‘correct’ result in mind.”

The ambassador
Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian Ambassador to the UK, added:

“For us it is absolutely unacceptable that the report concludes that the Russian state was in any way involved in the death of Mr Litvinenko on British soil. This gross provocation of the British authorities cannot help hurting our bilateral relations.”

The Kremlin
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, labelled the report’s findings an example of “subtle British humour.” Labelling the process a “joke”, he said:

“But you can put that down to subtle British humour, when an open public inquiry hangs on classified information from unnamed intelligence services and is based on prolific use of the words ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’.”

The accused
Meanwhile, Andrei Lugovoi, one of the parties accused of poisoning Litvinenko, told Interfax news agency the outcome showed a “narrow-mindedness and lack of desire among the British to find the real reason for the death.”

The nationalist MP went on to say:
“I hope this ‘polonium process’ will once and for all dispel the myth about the impartiality of British justice.”

The people
Residents of the Russian capital also weighed in.

Gleb Kononov said:
“I think the conclusion is unlikely; that such a decision to kill a former Lieutenant Colonel in the FSB would be made personally at such a high level is unlikely, no matter what he did. It’s probably a decision on a local level But where, exactly?”

While another local resident called Semen Mikhailovich gave his own theory on why the Russian was murdered:
“He knew a lot. Litvinenko knew a lot.In my opinion, that’s why he was killed.”


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-01-22

“But you can put that down to subtle British humour, when an open public inquiry hangs on classified information from unnamed intelligence services and is based on prolific use of the words ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’.”

World news. Russion goverment and spy's, say they didn't do it.

Good Mr Putin, can do do anything wrong.

And btw, the MH17 flight?

Edited January 22, 201610 yr by dutchisaan

Sadly, the truth doesn't get reported in Russia. Heavy anti-West propaganda. As shown here.

In three days this will possibly be old news and will probably disappear from the public eye.

Edited January 22, 201610 yr by connda

The Koh Tao murder investigation pales in comparison with this British inquiry into Alexander Litvinenko's murder.....

Quoting Pepe Escobar: "Pathetic does not even begin to describe it. The Brit inquiry is a joke!

Well they spent £2.25 million on the investigation, pinpointed the radioactive contamination across London etc.

Worked out exactly who had administered the polonium ( before they fled back to Russia)

Did a vast amount of detailed forensic work- so worse than Koh Tao? Don't believe everything you read on the net from Brazilian journalists with links to Iran

In three days this will possibly be old news and will probably disappear from the public eye.

I dont think this will ever be forgot, There will be repercussions, Dont forget there will be more than the UK impose more sanctions on Russia, The UK have had the Balls to come out and say the truth, Russia is on its knees now, and it is only going to get worse as oil prices drop.