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UK Lab Traces Polonium To Russian Nuclear Plant

Posted by kdawson on from the couldn't-make-it-up dept.

reporter writes "British authorities had identified polonium 210 to be the radioactive poison that killed Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy who defected to Great Britain. Now, according to a disturbing report, the authorities have identified the source of the poison to be Russia. Bloomberg ominously reports, 'Scientists at the U.K.'s Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, west of London, have traced the polonium 210 found in London to a nuclear power plant in Russia, the capital's Evening Standard newspaper reported today. Officials at the establishment didn't return calls.' A cold chill just fell on relations between Russia and the West." In another twist to this developing story, the shadowy Italian security consultant who dined with Litvinenko has also fallen ill with radiation poisoning.

6 of 413 comments (clear)

  1. in soviet russia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    in soviet russia the... hang on, I'm not feeling to well... /slumps over keyboarddddddddddddddddddddd...

  2. Re:A cold chill in relations? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Plus, if you build more nuclear stations you'll have your own supply of Polonium-210 with which to poison the Russians!

  3. Have you considered by Adult+film+producer · · Score: 2, Funny

    All of this could be a publicity stunt for the next Bond film? We probably won't find out who was really behind these sinister actions until........ you go see the movie

  4. oh... by miamicanes1990 · · Score: 2, Funny

    those whacky Russians

  5. Re:Where is the reactor? by cakefool · · Score: 2, Funny

    "They sell small amounts of polonium-210 in those little plastic red disks you find in high school chem labs. United Nuclear was selling them for like $69. You'd need to buy a lot of disks to kill a Russian spy."

    Whereas the average civilian can be killed with only a couple...

  6. The Putin Bride by TMB · · Score: 4, Funny

    But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of Putin: is he the sort of man who would get the polonium-210 from his own nuclear reactor or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would get the polonium-210 from his own reactor, because he would know that only a great fool would put the evidence within reach. I am not a great fool, so clearly I can clearly not believe the evidence in Russia. But he must have known I was not a great fool, he would have counted on it, so I can clearly not believe the evidence in front of me.

    [TMB]