Russia has acknowledged that one of its infamous polonium “poisoners” was battling cancer at the time of his death three years ago. Dmitry Kovtun, who was implicated by Britain in the radioactive assassination of Vladimir Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, passed away at the age of 56, initially attributed to Covid complications.
Andrey Lugovoy, Kovtun’s alleged accomplice, has now confessed that Kovtun had kidney-related oncology and other health issues. During a broadcast, Putin’s prominent TV propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, suggested that the polonium-210 dose Kovtun received nearly two decades ago had a lasting impact on his health.
Lugovoy, a former FSB operative turned MP, hinted at the possibility that the dose Kovtun ingested back then affected his health, without providing further details. He also disclosed that Kovtun had cancer, a revelation made for the first time. The duo was accused of poisoning Litvinenko during a meeting at a London hotel.
Litvinenko, a former FSB agent critical of Putin, suffered a slow and agonizing death, holding Lugovoy and Kovtun responsible before passing away. This incident severely strained diplomatic ties between Britain and Russia. A comprehensive 300-page report by a judge concluded that Lugovoy and Kovtun had poisoned Litvinenko, with the assassination likely authorized by Putin himself.
In 2022, Lugovoy described Kovtun as his close and loyal friend who succumbed suddenly to a severe illness associated with a coronavirus infection. Lugovoy, wanted by British authorities, continued to maintain his innocence, claiming he was framed by British intelligence or anti-Putin Russian exiles.
Traces of Polonium-210 were traced back to Moscow and Germany, where Kovtun was stationed, linking the murder to the Russian capital. Radioactive residues were discovered at the hotels where the suspects stayed, but Putin refused to extradite Lugovoy and Kovtun for trial in London.
Reports emerged in 2023 about Lugovoy’s own battle with prostate cancer, which he has not publicly addressed. Medical records leaked by a Ukrainian cyber group indicated Lugovoy refused surgical and radiation treatments recommended by doctors. Speculations suggest the cancer may be linked to Litvinenko’s poisoning.
Following their return from Britain, both Lugovoy and Kovtun sought treatment at a specialized Moscow hospital for radiation-related ailments. Despite the ordeal, Lugovoy welcomed a new child with his wife, Ksenia Lugovaya.