1 6 , ▁the ▁British ▁Government ▁conducted ▁an ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Alexander ▁Lit vin en ko . ▁Its ▁report ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁report , ▁" The ▁F SB ▁operation ▁to ▁kill ▁Mr ▁Lit vin en ko ▁was ▁probably ▁approved ▁by ▁Mr ▁Pat rus he v ▁and ▁also ▁by ▁President ▁Put in ." ▁The ▁report ▁out lined ▁some ▁possible ▁mot ives ▁for ▁the ▁murder , ▁including ▁Lit vin en ko ' s ▁public ▁statements ▁and ▁books ▁about ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁invol vement ▁of ▁the ▁F SB ▁in ▁mass ▁murder , ▁and ▁what ▁was ▁" und ou bt edly ▁a ▁personal ▁dimension ▁to ▁the ▁ant agon ism " ▁between ▁Put in ▁and ▁Lit vin en ko , ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁murder . ▁Media ▁anal yst ▁William ▁D unker ley , ▁writing ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁critic ised ▁the ▁inqu iry ▁as ▁polit ically ▁motiv ated , ▁bi ased , ▁lack ing ▁in ▁evidence , ▁and ▁log ically ▁incons istent . ▁The ▁Kre ml in ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁In qu iry ▁as ▁" a ▁jo ke " ▁and ▁" white w ash ". ▁ ▁Po ison ing ▁of ▁Serge i ▁Sk rip al ▁ ▁On ▁ 4 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁former ▁double ▁agent ▁Serge i ▁Sk rip al ▁was ▁poison ed ▁with ▁a ▁Nov ich ok ▁n erve ▁agent ▁in ▁Sal is bury . ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁later , ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁formally ▁accused ▁the ▁Russian ▁state ▁of