RUSSIAN exiles in the UK who are believed to be Kremlin targets have been contacted by police and given security briefings.

The move follows the murder of prominent Kremlin critic Nikolay Glushkov on March 12, and the nerve agent attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia on March 4.

Glushkov’s name appeared at the top of a list of 22 UK-based Russian exiles “wanted” by authorities in Moscow for a range of alleged offences. The Russian Embassy in London tweeted a link to the names of the businessmen and businesswomen in March 2017 accompanied with the question: “Why are fugitives from justice welcome in the UK?” and a stock image of a “WANTED” stamp.

Sergey Kapchuk, who is number 12 on the list, has hired two bodyguards for protection. "Nobody knows who will be next and it's very scary, that's why the guys are with me,” he said.

Glushkov, 68, died at his home in London from "compression to the neck", a special post-mortem investigation found. Police initially treated the death as unexplained but launched a murder probe after the post-mortem. Counter-terror officials are investigating but they are not linking his death to the attack on the Skripals, who both remain in hospital after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok.

It is understood that police and the security services have reassessed their view that other exiles are at low risk.

Glushkov was a retired financial director who had lived at his address for two years, Scotland Yard said. He was outspoken after the death of his close friend Boris Berezovsky – an enemy of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Berezovsky, who was also a friend of murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko, was found hanged in the bathroom of his Berkshire home in 2013. An inquest recorded an open verdict.

Glushkov told a newspaper in 2013 he would "never believe" Berezovsky took his own life.

Police and MI5 are investigating allegations that a string of deaths on UK soil may be linked to Russia, including the Berezovsky case.

Counter-terrorism police have also renewed their appeal for sightings of Skripal's burgundy BMW 320D saloon car, registration HD09 WAO, in Salisbury on the morning of March 4.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said: “We are learning more about Sergei and Yulia's movements, but we need to be clearer around their exact movements on the morning of the incident.”

It comes after NHS England said Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, the police officer exposed to the Novichok agent in Salisbury, is no longer in a critical condition. Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain critical but stable in hospital

Russia has opened its own criminal investigation into the attempted murder of Yulia, a Russian citizen, and Glushkov.

When the Russian Embassy released its list of 22 Russian “fugitives” it also issued a lengthy statement criticising the UK Government for failing to extradite them.

The statement said: “Great Britain de facto harbours quite a few Russian citizens who face charges in Russia for committing criminal offences such as fraud on a large scale, embezzlement, misappropriation of large amounts of money, robbery, murder.”

It added: “Over the period of 2002-2016 Britain has refused to extradite 51 Russian citizens by direct and personal decisions of Home Secretary or as a result of chicanery tactics in London court. Dozens of cases are still pending.”

Russia formally requested the extradition of 22 people on the Embassy’s list between 2007 and 2016. But 14 requests were turned down by Prime Minister Theresa May, two others were previously rejected by Labour MPs Charles Clarke and Jacqui Smith when they were Home Secretary, and six cases were thrown out by the courts.

RUSSIA’S ORIGINAL LIST OF 22 ‘WANTED FUGITIVES’

1 Nikolay Glushkov was accused of defrauding Russian Airlines with accomplices. He was found dead on March 12.

2 Boris Shemyakin is accused of assistance in large-scale embezzlement linked to Moscow Bank.

3 Andrey Borodin is accused of assistance in large-scale embezzlement linked to Moscow Bank.

4 Dmitry Akilinin is accused of assistance in large-scale embezzlement linked to Moscow Bank.

5 Yuri Nikitin is accused of organising and heading a criminal group, embezzlement and money laundering.

6. Dmitry Skarga is accused of being part of a criminal group, embezzlement and money laundering.

7 Tagir Izmaylov is accused of being part of a criminal group and embezzlement.

8 Yuri Zhelyabovskiy is accused of fraud.

9 Ruslan Chervyakov is accused of abuse of power for the purpose of deriving advantages and privileges for oneself.

10 Tatiana Muromtseva is accused of serious crimes on the territory of Russia, including fraud.

11 Dmitry Gavrikov is accused of large-scale fraud.

12 Sergey Kapchuk is accused of large-scale fraud.

13 Alexander Alexandrovich is accused of organising large-scale embezzlement and money laundering.

14 Yury Beylin is accused of illegal entrepreneurship.

15 Lada Didychuk is accused of fraud and large-scale embezzlement.

16 Oxana Lomako is accused of large-scale fraud and embezzlement in an organised group.

17 Dmitry Stroganov is accused of large-scale embezzlement in connection with Moscow Bank.

18 Yuli Dubov is accused of large-scale fraud.

19 Anatoly Ereshchenko is accused of large-scale fraud and property damage through deception and abuse of trust.

20 Kyastutis Muzikyavichus is accused of drug smuggling.

21 Nikolay Gornovsky is accused of abuse of power.

22 Georgiy Trefilov is accused of 16 counts of large-scale fraud.