By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor and Will Stewart In Moscow A public inquiry is to be held into the death of poisoned ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. With tensions running high with Moscow over the downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine, the UK government has given the go-ahead to a probe into whether the Russian state was behind Mr Litvinenko’s murder. The former KGB officer died in 2006 after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210 with two ex-colleagues at a London hotel. His widow Marina said the move sent a powerful 'message to his murderers', but one Russian MP claimed it was driven entirely by 'political expediency'.
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Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London hotel in 2006
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Coroner Sir Robert Owen asked for public inquiry instead of an inquest
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Last year ministers rejected idea, to protect 'international relations'
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But after MH17 flight was shot down, tensions with Russia have mounted
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Investigators will now probe whether the Russian state was behind murder
'It is more than seven years since Mr Litvinenko’s death, and I very much hope that this inquiry will be of some comfort to his widow Mrs @placeholder.'
'This is the only way I can comment on the actions of the @placeholder establishment and the decision to hold a public inquiry into Litvinenko's death.'