Alexander Litvinenko
Russian defector and critic of Putin, poisoned with polonium-210.
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was a Russian-born officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) who later defected to the United Kingdom, became a British citizen, and worked as a journalist, writer, and consultant for British intelligence. He is known for coining the phrase "mafia state" to describe Russia under Vladimir Putin, whose government he publicly and repeatedly criticised. His death in London in 2006 from polonium-210 poisoning triggered a diplomatic crisis and a public inquiry that found his murder was likely ordered by the FSB with Putin's approval.
Litvinenko was born in Voronezh in 1962. After finishing secondary school in Nalchik in 1980, he served a year as a private in the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs before enrolling at the Kirov Higher Command School in Vladikavkaz. He married his first wife, Natalia, an accountant, in 1981; they had a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Anna. The marriage ended in divorce in 1994, the same year he married Marina, a ballroom dancer and fitness instructor, with whom he had a son, Anatoly.
After graduating in 1985, Litvinenko commanded a platoon in the Dzerzhinsky Division of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs, protecting valuable cargo. In 1986, he became an informant for the MVD's KGB counterintelligence section, and in 1988 he transferred to the KGB's Third Chief Directorate for military counterintelligence. Following a year of study at the Novosibirsk Military Counter Intelligence School, he served as an operational officer in KGB military counterintelligence until 1991.
In 1991, he joined the Central Staff of the Federal Counterintelligence Service, focusing on counter-terrorism and infiltrating organised crime. He served in several conflict zones of the former USSR, including the First Chechen War, where he planted FSB agents. Western press often called him a "Russian spy," but his work did not involve intelligence secrets beyond operations against criminal groups.
Litvinenko met oligarch Boris Berezovsky in 1994 while investigating an assassination attempt on him, later handling his security. This created a conflict of interest with his FSB duties, though such arrangements were generally tolerated by the state.
Quick Facts
- Allegiance
- Soviet Union (lapsed) / Russia (defected) / United Kingdom
- Service Branch
- KGB (lapsed) / FSB (defected) / MI6
- Birth Name
- Aleksandr Valterovich Litvinenko
- Birth Date
- 30 August 1962
- Birth Place
- Voronezh, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
- Death Date
- 23 November 2006 · 1962 · 8 · 30
- Death Place
- Bloomsbury, London, England
- Death Cause
- Radiation poisoning (assassination)
- Burial Place
- Highgate Cemetery, Highgate London, England
- Citizenship
- Soviet Union (1962–1991) / Russia (1991–2006) / United Kingdom (2006)
- Spouse
- Nataliya · 1981 (1994–1994)
- Children
- 3
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Alexander Litvinenko was born in Voronezh in 1962. After secondary school, he served in the Internal Troops and graduated from the Kirov Higher Command School in 1985. He became a platoon commander in the Dzerzhinsky Division, later recruited by KGB counterintelligence in 1986. He served in KGB military counterintelligence until 1991, then joined the Federal Counterintelligence Service, specialising in counter-terrorism and organised crime infiltration. During the First Chechen War, he planted FSB agents in Chechnya. He met Boris Berezovsky in 1994 while investigating an assassination attempt on the oligarch and later handled his security.
In November 1998, Litvinenko and four other FSB officers publicly accused their superiors of ordering the assassination of Berezovsky. Litvinenko was arrested in March 1999 on charges of exceeding his authority, acquitted in November 1999, re-arrested, and the charges dismissed in 2000. He fled to London with his family and was granted asylum. There, he wrote two books accusing the Russian secret services of staging the 1999 apartment bombings and of ordering the assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006.
On 1 November 2006, Litvinenko fell ill after poisoning with polonium-210 and died on 23 November. A British murder investigation identified Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun as suspects. The UK sought extradition; Russia refused, straining relations. A public inquiry concluded in January 2016 that the murder was probably directed by the FSB with Putin's approval. In 2021, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Russia responsible and ordered €100,000 in damages.
Reader's Guide
Alexander Litvinenko's significance lies in his transformation from an FSB officer to a vocal defector who exposed alleged state corruption and terrorism. His public accusations against the FSB leadership and Vladimir Putin, combined with his death by polonium-210, created a diplomatic crisis between the United Kingdom and Russia. The British inquiry's conclusion that his murder was probably approved by Putin and the FSB director underscored the high stakes of his whistleblowing. His coined term 'mafia state' encapsulated his view of the fusion of organised crime and state power in Russia. The legal aftermath, including the European Court of Human Rights ruling, cemented his legacy as a symbol of resistance to state-sponsored violence. His case continues to be cited in discussions of state accountability and the risks faced by defectors and critics of authoritarian regimes.
Did You Know?
- Litvinenko coined the term 'mafia state' to describe the fusion of organised crime and state power in Russia.
- He was awarded the title 'MUR veteran' for operations with the Moscow criminal investigation department.
- His wife Marina won the right for an inquest into his death in October 2011.
- The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2021 that Russia was responsible for his death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alexander Litvinenko?
He was a Russian FSB officer who defected to the United Kingdom, gained British citizenship, and went on to work as a journalist, author, and consultant for British intelligence. He became one of Putin's most vocal and publicly named critics.
What did Alexander Litvinenko do for a living?
After leaving Russian security services, he split his time between journalism, writing, and advising British intelligence agencies. His public career was defined by outspoken criticism of the Russian government under Putin.
How did Alexander Litvinenko die?
He was poisoned with the radioactive isotope polonium-210 in London and died on 23 November 2006. A subsequent public inquiry concluded the murder was most likely authorised at the highest levels of the FSB, with Putin's implicit approval.
Why is Alexander Litvinenko remembered?
His assassination became a landmark case of state-sponsored political murder on Western soil, triggering a major diplomatic standoff between Britain and Russia. He is also widely credited with coining the term "mafia state" to characterise Putin-era Russia.
What is the "mafia state" phrase connected to?
Litvinenko coined the expression to describe how, in his view, Putin's Russia had devolved into a system where organised crime and the state operated as a single corrupt entity. The phrase stuck in Western political commentary long after his death.
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