Putin may have wanted Skripal dead over what he knew, UK officials believe

Ex-spy had information about Putin's embezzlement' of profits from metals production, intelligence official says

Vladimir Putin may have ordered the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal because the former Russian spy harboured secret information about the Russian president's criminal embezzlement" of profits from metals production, the UK government believes.

A leading intelligence official on Russia has said he took at face value" Skripal's assertions that secrets he knew about how Putin may have made money led to the nerve agent attack on him in Salisbury.