The murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 sent shockwaves around the world, not only because of its brazen nature but also because it exposed the murky world of espionage, political intrigue, and state-sponsored assassinations. Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian FSB (Federal Security Service), had become a vocal critic of the Russian government and its leader, Vladimir Putin. His death, resulting from the ingestion of a rare and highly toxic radioactive substance, polonium-210, highlighted the dangers faced by those who spoke out against powerful regimes and marked a chilling moment in modern international relations.
Born in 1962, Alexander Litvinenko initially had a promising career in Russian law enforcement and intelligence. He joined the Soviet KGB in the 1980s, rising through the ranks before becoming an officer in the FSB, the KGB’s successor, after the fall of the Soviet Union. During his time in the FSB, Litvinenko worked on organised crime cases and counterintelligence operations. However, his career took a dramatic turn in 1998 when he publicly accused his superiors of ordering the assassination of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.
Litvinenko’s accusations against his FSB colleagues were explosive. He claimed that the Russian security services were involved in criminal activities and were using their power to target political opponents. His allegations directly implicated high-ranking officials in corruption, murder, and terrorism. As a result, Litvinenko quickly found himself in the crosshairs of the very organisation he had once served. He was arrested and imprisoned on charges of exceeding his authority, but after spending time in and out of detention, he fled Russia in 2000, seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
Once in Britain, Litvinenko continued his criticism of the Russian government, becoming a prominent dissident. He published two books, Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within and Lubyanka Criminal Group, in which he accused the Russian state of orchestrating the 1999 apartment bombings in Moscow to justify the Second Chechen War and consolidate Vladimir Putin’s power. These allegations were deeply damaging to the Kremlin, and Litvinenko’s outspoken activism made him a marked man.
In London, Litvinenko lived in exile, working as a journalist, consultant, and author, often meeting with other Russian dissidents and British intelligence officials. His ties to figures like Boris Berezovsky, who had also fled Russia and was openly opposed to Putin, further inflamed tensions. Throughout this period, Litvinenko maintained that the Russian government, and particularly Putin, had become a corrupt and authoritarian regime, ruthlessly eliminating its critics.
On 1 November 2006, Litvinenko suddenly fell ill after meeting two former FSB officers, Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun, at a London hotel. Shortly after the meeting, he began experiencing severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, symptoms that rapidly worsened. Litvinenko was admitted to hospital, where doctors initially suspected he had been poisoned. However, it was not until several days later that the cause of his illness was identified: he had been poisoned with polonium-210. This rare and highly radioactive substance is deadly in even the smallest quantities.
Polonium-210 is an extremely difficult substance to obtain, suggesting that Litvinenko’s poisoning was no random act but a carefully planned assassination. It is only produced in nuclear reactors, meaning that whoever was behind the attack likely had access to state resources. The manner of Litvinenko’s death was both slow and painful. Over the course of three weeks, his condition deteriorated, and he eventually died on 23 November 2006.
Before his death, Litvinenko made a public statement from his hospital bed, accusing Vladimir Putin of being directly responsible for his poisoning. He declared, “You may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life.” His words, combined with the extraordinary circumstances of his death, drew global attention to the case and led to widespread condemnation of the Russian government.
The British authorities launched an extensive investigation into Litvinenko’s murder. Traces of polonium-210 were found in multiple locations across London, including the hotel where Litvinenko met Lugovoi and Kovtun. This radioactive trail provided crucial evidence linking the suspects to the poisoning. In 2007, the British government formally requested the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi from Russia to face trial for Litvinenko’s murder, but the Russian government refused, citing its constitution, which forbids the extradition of its citizens. Lugovoi, who has always denied involvement in the assassination, went on to become a member of the Russian parliament.
In 2016, a British public inquiry concluded that Lugovoi and Kovtun likely carried out Litvinenko’s murder and that the assassination had been “probably approved” by Vladimir Putin and the head of the FSB at the time, Nikolai Patrushev. The inquiry’s findings were a direct accusation that the Russian state had been involved in a targeted assassination on foreign soil, sparking further diplomatic tensions between the UK and Russia.
Russia, however, has consistently denied any involvement in Litvinenko’s death. The Kremlin dismissed the findings of the British inquiry as politically motivated, and Lugovoi has maintained his innocence, labelling the accusations against him as part of an anti-Russian campaign. Despite the official denials, Litvinenko’s murder is widely regarded as an act of state-sponsored terrorism, reflecting the lengths to which the Russian government is willing to go to silence its critics.
The assassination of Alexander Litvinenko has had far-reaching consequences. It significantly strained diplomatic relations between the UK and Russia and raised broader concerns about the use of assassination as a tool of statecraft. The case also highlighted the vulnerability of exiled dissidents living abroad, many of whom continue to fear for their lives as they criticise powerful regimes from afar.
Litvinenko’s death is seen by many as part of a broader pattern of politically motivated killings linked to the Russian state. Similar cases, such as the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018, have reinforced the perception that the Russian government is willing to use extreme measures to eliminate perceived enemies, even on foreign soil. These incidents have contributed to the image of Russia as a state that prioritises its political interests above international norms and laws. Today, Alexander Litvinenko is remembered as both a victim and a symbol of the dangers faced by those who dare to challenge authoritarian regimes. His murder remains a stark reminder of the risks involved in dissent and the brutal methods some governments use to maintain their grip on power. Despite the passage of time, the case continues to resonate as a cautionary tale about the price of speaking out against powerful figures.
