Alexei Navalny (47) - Russian opposition leader, political prisoner, found dead in Russian prison, 16 February 2024

[Dotta]

"Ukraine's top spy chief says Alexei Navalny ​

'died from a blood clot' ​

amid claims that jailed Putin critic was murdered by Russian spies.​

Today, however,
Kyrylo Budanov,
the head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service, suggested his death could be down to natural causes.

He told reporters:
'I may disappoint you,
but what we know is that he really died from a blood clot.

And this is more or less confirmed.

This was not taken from the Internet, but, unfortunately, a natural [death]'."

Ukraine's top spy chief says Alexei Navalny 'died from a blood clot'

The anti-corruption campaigner, who was serving a 19 year prison sentence in the arctic, was found dead earlier this month with Russia claiming he died form 'sudden death syndrome'

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Charlot123]

"Ukraine's top spy chief says Alexei Navalny ​

'died from a blood clot' ​

amid claims that jailed Putin critic was murdered by Russian spies.​

Today, however,
Kyrylo Budanov,
the head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service, suggested his death could be down to natural causes.

He told reporters:
'I may disappoint you,
but what we know is that he really died from a blood clot.

And this is more or less confirmed.

This was not taken from the Internet, but, unfortunately, a natural [death]'."

Ukraine's top spy chief says Alexei Navalny 'died from a blood clot'

The anti-corruption campaigner, who was serving a 19 year prison sentence in the arctic, was found dead earlier this month with Russia claiming he died form 'sudden death syndrome'

www.dailymail.co.uk

Well, since any death is ultimately either heart failure or lung failure, he is probably 50% right. In theory. I think, however, that Budanov’s answer defines Ukraine’s official position about Navalny: for Ukraine, he is Russia’s internal issue. Of course, all Ukrainian analysts are discussing him, but Navalny’s position was never pro-Ukrainian. And I would believe that most Ukrainians feel compassion for the same reason as I do, the fact of death in an Arctic penal colony. This being said, Navalny was purely Russian opposition. I suspect that he either misjudged own role, or, on the contrary, understood that a politician’s value is determined by staying “current.” If you are merely a politician, neither a world-known chess player, nor a famous writer with a huge following, how high is your value in exile? Navalny’s biggest support group, as I can see, can be defined by age (rather young) and location (inside the country in 2008-2012). ( I understand why I was skeptical about him.) I wonder if Navalny, having returned to Russia in the beginning of 2021, could not foresee what had followed, and maybe after 2022, he expected to be swapped for someone, but this is where his judgment was not that good?

In general, it bodes to the same question, worldwide. In any country - how many opposition leaders-in-exile manage to return and eventually win the elections if they haven’t suffered for their people? If they were not jailed, or didn’t have political parents-turned-martyrs, or such? In Russia’s history, martyrdom is special. (This is how Yeltsin came to power, if you think.) It would seem to me that most opposition “of value” has struggled; Navalny never did before his arrest, and I think had he chosen to stay in Germany, his value would be low now. Sorry if someone disagrees with my opinion. RIP to any political prisoner who died in prisons’ walls.

 

[Dotta]

"Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner exchange, sources claim."​

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner exchange, sources claim

Maria Pevchikh said today that talks about exchanging Navalny and two US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Charlot123]

"Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner exchange, sources claim."​

Navalny was close to being freed in prisoner exchange, sources claim

Maria Pevchikh said today that talks about exchanging Navalny and two US nationals for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian FSB security service hit man in jail in Germany, were in their final stages.

www.dailymail.co.uk

In the very beginning of Navalny's personal golgotha, there were articles in liberal immigrant Russian circles, accusing someone close to him of working for FSB. I have no way to prove it but I would also be questionable of any source very close to him, because 1) they are far away (there are three,) 2) because I heard the opposite version from an analyst, regarding his value in prisoners' swap.

 

[vls12345]

Alexei Navalny ally Leonid Volkov says fight against Putin will never end

Leonid Volkov says his fight against Vladimir Putin will never end, speaking after a hammer attack outside his home.

www.bbc.com

 

[Snoopster]

Russian court orders arrest of Alexei Navalnaya's widow Yulia Navalnaya

I guess it's not surprising, but, as always, it's very disturbing.

 

[Lilibet]

Russian court orders arrest of Alexei Navalnaya's widow Yulia Navalnaya

I guess it's not surprising, but, as always, it's very disturbing.

I hope she no longer lives in Russia. Her daughter goes to Stanford University in Calif.

 

[sds71]

@laraseligman



BREAKING: Alexei Navalny, before he died in prison, was supposed to be part of the prisoner swap, Jake Sullivan says

 

[PrairieWind]

@laraseligman



BREAKING: Alexei Navalny, before he died in prison, was supposed to be part of the prisoner swap, Jake Sullivan says

From what I have read today, the US was trying to get Navalny included in the swaps discussed and that at one point Putin had even agreed. But I think that is absurd. Putin was NEVER going to release Navalny alive.

 

[Rikissa]

Article from 14 February 2026:
Testing done outside Russia have showed that the cause of Alexei Navalny's death was dart frog poison, from Ecuadorian frogs.

The poison - described as "one of the deadliest on earth" - is 200 times stronger than morphine. It causes paralysis, breathing difficulties and death.

Alexei Navalny died after being poisoned with dart frog toxin, UK and allies say

The frog's poison is 200 times stronger than morphine, with Germany's foreign minister saying 'victims suffocate in agony'.

news.sky.com

 

[Lilibet]

Article from 14 February 2026:
Testing done outside Russia have showed that the cause of Alexei Navalny's death was dart frog poison, from Ecuadorian frogs.

Alexei Navalny died after being poisoned with dart frog toxin, UK and allies say

The frog's poison is 200 times stronger than morphine, with Germany's foreign minister saying 'victims suffocate in agony'.

news.sky.com

I think we all knew that Navalny didn’t die of “natural causes.” Horrible. His poor family.

 

[Snoopster]

Navalny was a true hero. He knew there was a very good chance that Putin and gang would try to kill him.

 

[Charlot123]

I hope one day we’ll get a full history of Navalny. I left the country eons before he emerged as a political figure, in early Yeltsin’s time and I didn’t track his emergence. It just happened overnight it seems. He was handsome and charismatic and popular with young people. I always wondered (without any specific information) if he was someone’s planned political project that eventually got rogue. Any country has to have “opposition”, if “tame”. But he became too popular with the people and too independent. Maybe one day we’ll know.

Also, to get precise information about finances of top Russian politicians and oligarchs for his movies, one has to have someone leaking it to you. You can’t even approach such places, much less make videos of them.

But, I was surprised that he returned back. I always felt that he could not find himself in the West because after all he was not an ex-oligarch like Khodorkovsky who had the time to steal enough money to have a good “cushion”. Also, politically Navalny could not find himself abroad. There is one more component: politicians have to live in the country. Outside, Russian opposition quickly loses the grip on reality and understanding of what’s happening inside the country. You have to wake up and check home TV and news to connect the dots. Plus, Navalny had two kids educated in good colleges abroad. Many blame his wife for his decision to move back.

Well, he is a martyr now. Part of Russian history. Maybe one day we’ll know his full story.

 

[seasideForest]

I was surprised that he returned back.

I was surprised too. Not that I have any knowledge of Russia the way you do. To me, he seemed incredibly brave because of the way things were likely to develop, as they did. A hero - to return and try again, even if the chances of him being able to bring about significant change or any change were very low.

 

[Snoopster]

I hope one day we’ll get a full history of Navalny. I left the country eons before he emerged as a political figure, in early Yeltsin’s time and I didn’t track his emergence. It just happened overnight it seems. He was handsome and charismatic and popular with young people. I always wondered (without any specific information) if he was someone’s planned political project that eventually got rogue. Any country has to have “opposition”, if “tame”. But he became too popular with the people and too independent. Maybe one day we’ll know.

Also, to get precise information about finances of top Russian politicians and oligarchs for his movies, one has to have someone leaking it to you. You can’t even approach such places, much less make videos of them.

But, I was surprised that he returned back. I always felt that he could not find himself in the West because after all he was not an ex-oligarch like Khodorkovsky who had the time to steal enough money to have a good “cushion”. Also, politically Navalny could not find himself abroad. There is one more component: politicians have to live in the country. Outside, Russian opposition quickly loses the grip on reality and understanding of what’s happening inside the country. You have to wake up and check home TV and news to connect the dots. Plus, Navalny had two kids educated in good colleges abroad. Many blame his wife for his decision to move back.

Well, he is a martyr now. Part of Russian history. Maybe one day we’ll know his full story.

Thank you for sharing your insight.
I too would love to see a true, unbiased introspective of his life. He's such a unique figure and I have to admit that I don't really know Russian culture....just what I read in the headlines (and we all know how that can go!).