Litvinenko, koji je 2000. pobjegao u London, razbolio se 1. novembra, nekoliko sati nakon što je bio na čaju s bivšim oficirom KGB-a a sada biznismenom Andreijem Lugovoijem, i još jednim ruskim biznismenom, Dmitryjem Kovtunom, u Pine Baru hotela Millennium u glavnom gradu Britanije.
Litvinenko, who fled to London in 2000, fell ill on November 1st, hours after he had tea with KGB officer-turned-businessman Andrei Lugovoi and another Russian businessman, Dmitry Kovtun, at the Millennium Hotel's Pine Bar in the British capital.