Other Russian exiles in London may be feeling nervous after the apparent poisoning of former security agent Alexander Litvinenko, an "expert on Russian affairs" said.
The tactic had long been used at home, said James Nixey, who studies Russia for the Chatham House international affairs research institute in England.
He said: "We may look at it as a trend and a tactic, but should also remember that it goes back to Tsarist times, when there were food checkers used - and Rasputin was poisoned."
Many people believe that an American journalist , who was shot dead last month, was the subject of a poisoning attempt on her way to the school siege in Beslan in 2004.
"There are certain other Russians in London who might feel uncomfortable after this. There are some who perhaps should be worried - there is enough precedent to worry them."
Mr Nixey said if the regime was to blame for the attempt on Mr Litvinenko, it probably had not come from the top.
"If it was done by the regime, it's unlikely that someone at the top would give direct orders - it's more likely to be someone lower down.
"There are nationalist and protectionist elements in Russia who might do it and think people higher up would approve, but this is just speculation.
"The Kremlin has become more intolerant of dissent, it doesn't like it from anybody, westerners or Russians."
Relations between Britain and Russia had deteriorated, he said, despite Britain being "weak" in its protests over lack of democracy in Russia.
"It seems to be the case, since 2004, and certainly since the post September 11 co-operation, that relations have deteriorated quite substantially with the UK, there's a lot more tension.
"The regime has been backsliding on democracy, and Britain has been very weak in picking them up for their deficiencies in democratic values, several Irish Web sites reported.
A Kavkaz Center's Russia's expert living in Western Europe rejected the assumptions of Mr James Nixey aimed at whitewashing Putin.
First of all, practically every Western "expert on Russian affairs" is dependent on the favor of the Russian government, and that is why he or she is de facto pro-Russian. Western experts need Russian visas to go to Russia to exercise their professional duties. If they start speaking truth about the Russian government, they get no more visas and actually lose their job.
Mr Litvinenko is not on the "hit list" of Russian Nationalists. Moreover, excepts from his book "The FSB Blows Russia" were reprinted in several Russian nationalist newspapers, such as Nashe Otechestvo ("Our Fatherland") in St. Petersburg and in Duel in Moscow, the KC expert said.
And in 2004, the Russian nationalist newspaper Duel even published an exclusive interview with Mr Litvinenko.
Russian Nationalists have no means and opportunity to act in the West. They are the same enemies of Putin's regime as Russian Democrats, like Mr Litvinenko, and they are certainly far from protectionist in regard to the Putin's regime.
Based upon the current situation in Russia, Russian Nationalists fully agree with Mr Litvinenko's friends that the order to murder Mr Litvinenko could only come from the very top, i.e. Putin personally, the KC Russia's expert added.
Modern new democratic Russia is a different country than the pre-revolutionary Tsarist Russia, and the murder of Rasputin by some member's of the Tsar's family has absolutely nothing to do with Mr Litvineko's attempted murder by the FSB. Rasputin was a rival of Russian aristocrats in their influence upon the Tsar. Mr. Litvinenko is no rival to any groups in Kremlin strafing for Putin's favors, the KC expert reminded Mr Nexey some historical facts.
Dmitriy Orlov
KC
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