[Shaun]

I think waiting to see who is directly responsible for the poisoning is pretty much the right line of inquiry so I have been a little hesitant to just assume the Russian government - or those who control the Russian government - are behind it. The idea of it being some mafioso with an axe to grind is just as plausible, a former business client, someone he (the former spy) exposed... the tendency to just assume Russia are entirely and openly corrupt seems a bit too simplistic and naive. I'm aware of double bluffs but using nerve agents that can only be traced back to your own country, would that really be the weapon of a Russian state?