It is revealed as part of a Telegraph investigation which also unearthed an audio recording appearing to capture Litvinenko giving a detailed account of his investigations into links between Vladimir Putin and one of the worlds most dangerous criminals. <\/p>\n
The tape will reignite claims that Litvinenko could have been killed as a result of investigative work he carried out in a series of European countries after leaving Russia. <\/p>\n
These claims are likely to be played out in the High Court as the Litvinenko Inquiry, chaired by Sir Robert Owen, a former high court judge, conducts its hearings. <\/p>\n
Last year Sir Robert said that he had seen prima facie evidence that the Russia state was involved in the murder. <\/p>\n
It is likely that the NSA intelligence formed part of the evidence that Sir Robert was given. <\/p>\n
The disclosure of the material is likely to be put pressure on the British governments relationship with the Kremlin and will renew calls for the UK to toughen its stance. <\/p>\n
The start of the inquiry comes after years of campaigning by Marina Litvinenko, the widow of the former KGB spy, for an official verdict on his death. <\/p>\n
Mrs Litvinenko has applied to the NSA to disclose telephone intercepts, and says that all information should be disclosed to Sir Robert. <\/p>\n
Litvinenko was poisoned in November 2006 during a meeting at a Mayfair hotel. He died three weeks later. Tests revealed that he ingested a rare isotope, polonium 210, which is hard to detect. <\/p>\n
British prosecutors want two men, Andrei Lugovoy and Dimitri Kovtun, both of whom are former KGB bodyguards, to face murder charges over the murder. <\/p>\n
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Litvinenko inquiry: the proof Russia was involved in dissident's murder<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is revealed as part of a Telegraph investigation which also unearthed an audio recording appearing to capture Litvinenko giving a detailed account of his investigations into links between Vladimir Putin and one of the worlds most dangerous criminals. The tape will reignite claims that Litvinenko could have been killed as a result of investigative work he carried out in a series of European countries after leaving Russia. These claims are likely to be played out in the High Court as the Litvinenko Inquiry, chaired by Sir Robert Owen, a former high court judge, conducts its hearings Continue reading