British Doctors: Former Russian Spy's Contact is 'Well'
02 December 2006
British doctors say the health of an Italian contact of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has improved, after radioactive material was found in his body.
Medical officials say initial tests on security expert Mario Scaramella showed no signs of radiation toxicity.
Earlier, officials said Scaramella tested positive for traces of polonium-210, the same material found in the body of Litvinenko after his death. Traces of the material also have been found in Litvinenko's wife.
Before he died last month, Litvinenko accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder. Moscow denies the charges.
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov Saturday pledged full cooperation with a probe into Litvinenko's death.
Meanwhile, Russian aviation officials say they found radiation on a Finnair plane that arrived in Moscow.
Radiation also has been detected on five planes that recently flew into London's Heathrow Airport.
Radiation has been found in several other locations in the British capital, including a sushi restaurant where Litvinenko ate before getting ill.
Litvinenko had been investigating the murder of famous Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya in October. She was a frequent critic of the Kremlin and its policies in the separatist republic of Chechnya.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
